In my arms
by steubec
Summary: Walt's thoughts during the opening scene of Harvest in season 3 and beyond. Oh my, what a scene! Spoilers if you haven't seen it. Multiple points of view from multiple characters. This story splits into two different directions at chapter 15. You can follow the Option A chapters for one story line or the Option B chapters for a second, or read both if you want to. Walt/Vic ship.
1. Chapter 1

My eyes keep drifting toward Vic as Doc stitches me up. While I appreciate his attempt to lighten the heavy feeling in the room I know it isn't having any effect on the woman who is consuming my thoughts. She is so still, only moving her fingers to lightly graze the tear in my coat left from the bullet that didn't quite miss me. I am not used to her being so quiet. It worries me. She has avoided looking at me since she arrived back at Chance's to find him on the ground with me standing over him. Such a contrast to her seeming inability to look away as she had ridden out of the compound. As I watched her leave I had tried to communicate everything I wanted to say to her without words, keeping my eyes locked on hers until I could no longer make them out in the the darkness of the car. I needed her to know that I was not just standing up to Chance for Martha, but for her as well.

Doc finishes up and speaks to her as he is leaving. His words drive home how close I came to losing her. I stand and ease into my shirt continuing to watch her face. I tell her that after the needle and thread I'll be back to normal but I wonder what that normal will be. She stands and nods slightly holding out my coat, continuing to look at it. She was holding onto it so tightly. It is as if she now realizes it is time to let it go again.

As I reach for my coat I stretch just a little farther and touch her hand. Time seems to stop as she finally looks up to really see me standing there. I know I shouldn't but I am drawn to her. I lightly grasp her arm and and pull her into me as she starts to cry. It is the most natural thing in the world to hold her. I rub her back, pull her hair out of her face and thank God she is here with me and I wonder how we can ever go back to the way it was.

As we embrace I cannot help but to think of her husband. I saw him only briefly as he was brought into the hospital by the EMTs we had sent down the hill to where Vic had left him in the car. She had stayed with me and we rode together back to Durant Memorial. I insisted they check her out first and she didn't object. Another sign everything was not okay with her. After her injuries had been confirmed and she was released we were brought back to the treatment room to tend to my needs. I asked Vic if she shouldn't go check on Shaun but she didn't answer. She just continued to sit and stare at my coat. I hadn't wanted to force the issue. She had been through so much already. I feel guilty that she chose to be here with me but even so, I am not going to push her away like I have so many times before because I know in my gut this is where she belongs. Still, I wonder how I might feel if it were Martha who was in the arms of another man after we had been through an ordeal such as that? Though I know it isn't my place, I will not refuse her, as if I ever really could. I willingly offer the comfort and support that I know she needs and that I long to provide.


	2. Chapter 2

After several long moments Vic's grip on my denim shirt begins to loosen. She slowly pulls back and wipes the tears from her face. She looks so vulnerable and is still not speaking.

"Let's get you home."

She drops her hands and I finish dressing. I keep a hold on my coat, not sure how she will react if she sees me pull it on with the bullet hole still present. I can stand a little chill in the air if it helps to keep the chill out of her soul. We walk out of the room and down the hall. Vic excuses herself and heads to the restroom.

"I'll meet you in the lobby."

I continue down the hall and find Shaun sitting alone in a chair. Without turning his head he slides his eyes over and stares at my boots, not looking up. I am used to people avoiding eye contact with me, but usually because they are in some kind of trouble and they view me as the enforcer of consequences. I understand and am comfortable with that avoidance but I don't like getting that from either of these two. I sit down with one chair between us feeling like we could both use a little personal space. Shaun's eyes return forward. I open my mouth several times to speak, but I don't really know what to say. I opt instead to stand back up and walk over to the coffee urn sitting on the table across the room. I pour two cups. Returning to my seat, I hold one out to Shaun. After a slight hesitation, he reaches out and takes the cup.

I typically welcome silence. But this one is thick and heavy, not relaxed and easy. What is taking Vic so long?

When I think I cannot possibly stand it any longer the silence is broken.

"Thank you"

I exhale, not realizing I had been holding my breath. "Sure"

"How is she?"

"Okay considering the circumstances. Her head injury is pretty serious."

"Her physical health is not really what I was asking about. The doctor came by and spoke with me, told me I need to check on her every hour to monitor how she is doing. I'm sure that won't piss her off, my waking her up regularly to make sure she is still coherent. She's probably already angry enough that our weekend turned out the way it did."

"Shaun, you are not responsible for what happened. It's not your fault"

"Isn't it? She didn't really want to go away for the weekend, I know that. She was trying to maintain a positive attitude though. I guess she felt it was the least she could do, to put forth some effort in trying to fix things at home. End result though was another disappointment. I am not sure what I could have done differently. I did what I thought was the right thing each time to try to keep her safe, but no matter which path I picked, refusing to cooperate or giving them exactly what they wanted, she ended up bearing the brunt of it. I couldn't make the right choice for her. Seems like she fought them harder for me than for herself. Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?"

"Shaun, you know as well as I do that Vic is who she is. She will always put the safety of others ahead of her own."

"Hmm, well at the risk of sounding redundant, I want to know, how IS she?"

"I have my thoughts, but she's not talking to me about it"

Shaun turns to look directly at me.

"Just your thoughts, huh? That surprises me. I assumed she was talking to you because she sure as hell isn't talking to me. I have only caught one glimpse of her since she took off in your truck and that was when they brought me into the hospital. She seems to tell you everything. I get very little out of her about anything...Can I ask you another question?"

"Yup"

"Do you have feelings for my wife?"

I take a deep beath and slowly let it out. "I meant what I said a few weeks ago. You have nothing to worry about from me. Vic is my deputy and she is a married woman. I may do some things that are questionable in this life, but I place a lot of importance on both of those facts and take them very seriously."

"I keep hearing you say that I have nothing to worry about from you. What I am not hearing is an answer to my question. Right now, I still want to fight for my marriage but in order for it to be a fair fight, I need to know what I'm up against."

His eyes shift and he looks over my shoulder. I turn to follow his gaze and see Vic watching us from the near end of the hallway.

I don't know how long she has been there or what she may have overheard.

Shaun looks back to me as he stands up, "This conversation isn't over."


	3. Chapter 3

**M rating for language.**

* * *

They rode home in silence. Not a word had been spoken since Walt had mumbled "Let's go" before the three of them walked out of the hospital together. Their rental car was still up on the mountain and couldn't be driven anyway. They could have called Ferg to come pick them up, but since Walt was there and his truck was running fine it had only made sense that he drive them home before heading home himself. It wasn't until Walt had pulled out of the driveway and she and Shaun were alone together in the house that Vic trusted herself to speak.

"What the hell was that? Why were you confronting my boss?"

It didn't have the same kick it would have if she were not overcome with dizziness and a pounding headache from the beating she had taken.

For the first time Shaun was somewhat thankful Vic was not her usual self.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"Really? Are you really going to play this like you always do? Ignore the problem? Avoid being honest? You're not just going to be able to give me a good fuck and make it go away this time."

"Oh, I don't know, that seems to be the tactic you resort to more often than not. You refuse to talk to me about anything. So I decided to take another route to get to the bottom of why my wife has shut me out. To see if we have a chance to make this work."

"Shaun, I have told you before, there is nothing going on between me and Walt."

"You have. But I guess that all depends on what you mean. The two of you may have never kissed or, or slept together but that doesn't mean nothing's going on. I wish I could show you a video of your reaction when you thought Walt was dead or of the way your eyes were locked to his while we were being driven out of that place. And then of course you chose to go back to him rather than stay with me. I would think most married couples who had escaped that kind of a situation would be so relieved they would grab hold of one another and never let go. Damn Vic, you treated me as though I was just some random guy being held hostage whose release you had been called in to negotiate."

"That's not fair. Walt put himself in danger to save our asses up there. You saw what that lunatic was capable of. I couldn't ignore what was happening."

"No, you chose to ignore me instead. You chose your boss over your husband. I used to think you were one of the smartest people I had ever met, but now I don't know. Doesn't seem you learned anything from that whole Gorski mess."

"Don't you dare compare Walt Longmire to Ed Gorski, they are nothing alike."

"Aren't they? I think I see a lot of similarities between the two. You know, now that I think about it, maybe that's why Gorski finally walked away. Maybe he saw it too, that no matter what had happened between the two of you either back in Philadelphia or here, he knew he could never compete with what you have with Walt. . . I don't think I can either, and I'm not really sure I want to try to anymore."

"You can't blame this all on me Shaun. You moved us out here and then checked out yourself. You're gone for work more than you're home and when you are here you are sullen and withdrawn. You tell me things rather than ask my opinion about them. it wasn't like that before we left Philly. If it had been, we wouldn't have made it this far."

"Did you ever think that maybe I didn't want to move out to this God-forsaken place any more than you did? When things started getting worse for you at work I knew you needed some relief. When I requested a transfer I tried to get us somewhere I thought would be a good fit for both of us but I had to take what was available."

"Wait a minute, you requested the transfer? You told me it was the company's idea and that the timing just magically worked out for us."

"Vic, we had to get out of there. I saw you come home from work every night frustrated and beaten down. No one wanted to partner with you after they found out you had initiated that IA investigation. You were receiving anonymous threats. I'm your husband. I'm supposed to protect you, so I did."

"No Shaun, lying to your wife is not protecting her. Talking to her, being honest with her, asking her opinion and taking it into account, those are the things that help her to feel loved and protected. Without those things, I'm not sure I want to try anymore either."


	4. Chapter 4

**Originally the second 1/2 of the 3rd chapter. I just couldn't get comfortable with the two parts being together. Please forgive the change.**

* * *

"Hi Henry"

"Hello Walt, I did not expect to see you today."

"Why's that?"

"Well, considering the events of the past 24 hours and the fact that you were shot I mistakenly assumed you would be at home resting."

"Can't."

Walt sits on a bar stool and looks down but says nothing.

"Walt, you should know I have always admired how well you express yourself."

Walt takes a deep breath and continues to gaze at the bar.

"Since my sad attempt at humor has failed to draw you out I will take another approach. Have you eaten? Would like me to make you something?"

"Nope."

"Well then, you are not here for food and obviously not here for conversation so it begs the question, why are you here?"

"At the hospital before I drove Vic and Shaun home, he asked me if I had feelings for her."

"I see. . . The question seems to have disturbed you."

The stoic silence continues.

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have feelings for Vic?"

Henry could hear the buzz of the keg cooler under the bar.

"Walt?"

"I…uh…"

"I see. And when did realize that you had begun to think of her as more than just your deputy?"

"I don't know. If I'm being honest I guess I've known for a long time."

"But it was not real to you until you feared she might lose her life?"

"Yup."

Walt sighs.

"You know I'm a man of action, almost to a fault. I see a situation and make a decision, right or wrong. When I make that decision I follow through and deal with the consequences when it's over but…"

Walt finally looks up at his closest friend.

"For the first time in my life Henry, I don't know what to do."

"I am sure you will figure it out."


	5. Chapter 5

Walt comes into the office earlier than usual on Monday morning. He needs to get some things figured out in his head and for some reason was having a hard time doing that at his cabin. The inherent nature of the office is one with more clearly defined guidelines and boundaries than what he feels at home. He thinks he would benefit from a reinforcement of law and order. His efforts at working prove fruitless however as his mind keeps straying to other matters. Ruby wanders in around 7:30 and sticks her head into his office.

"Morning Walt, I didn't expect you to be here this early. Thanks for starting the coffee."

"Sure, Is there anything I missed last Friday while I was out that I need to tend to?"

He's hoping for something that will require some focus to take his mind off a certain blond deputy. Even the need to continue looking for who really killed Miller Beck and secure Henry's long term freedom was not enough to distract him from the memory of how it had felt to hold her in his arms at the hospital.

"No, Vic and Shaun's abduction was the only thing."

Walt sits back in his chair and drums his fingers on the edge of his desk. He cannot help but to stare at the phone. He assumes Vic isn't planning on coming in today but they didn't discuss it. In fact, they hadn't discussed anything from the time Vic had joined he and Shaun in the waiting room at the hospital.

He picks up the phone and starts to dial her home but hangs up before he is finished punching in the numbers. After a moment, he picks it up again and dials her cell phone instead.

"Hello Walt."

"Ah...Shaun"

"You were expecting someone else?"

"Nope. I just wanted to check in on Vic. How's she doing this morning?"

"Still asleep"

"Good."

"Would you like me to wake her up?"

"No, That's not necessary."

"Isn't it? I 'm sure the two of you have a lot to talk about."

Walt pauses.

"I'm glad to hear she is resting. Take care of her."

"I intend to."

Walt hears the call disconnect. He sits and looks at the handset for a moment before sighing and hanging it up.

"Vic okay?"

Ruby has moved into the doorway.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I've been concerned. Is there anything we can do to help? Anything she needs?"

"Nope, Shaun says he's got everything under control."

"Well, I'm going to make a casserole to take over there anyway. I can't imagine Vic is much of a cook without a concussion much less with one. You can't heal properly when you're malnourished."

"That would be nice Ruby. You go ahead and do whatever you think is best."

She nods and once again leaves Walt alone with his wandering thoughts. He pictures Vic as she looked when he dropped her and Shaun off the day before. The exhaustion and pain had been clear in her eyes but there was something else lingering there that he couldn't identify. It was present in the quiet look she had given him after Shaun had gotten out of the truck and before she joined him and walked into the house. The ride to their home had been awkward to say the least. He still isn't sure how much Vic had heard of the conversation between him and her husband. He keeps running it through his head over and over again, wondering how everything got to this point, when this had happened. Maybe he first realized it when he was up on that mountain chasing those escaped prisoners. Perhaps it happened when he found out Gorski was threatening her. He for sure knew that he was in trouble during the trip to Arizona but after dodging that bullet in the motel he settled into safe denial. He guessed it didn't really matter when he had fallen in love with Vic, just that he had. He had been so focused on everything else that had been going on with Martha, Cady, Branch and Henry that he had almost missed it. After his wife's death he could have never imagined ever opening his heart up to another woman. It seemed just his luck that now when he finally had, it was someone who was off limits, someone he would never be able to have as his own. He knew he needed to stay away from her, create some space, but how? As long as she hadn't heard Shaun's question and his response there was still a chance everything would be okay. He could hold his feelings to himself as long as he needed to. It was something with which he had had lots of practice.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you Craig Johnson and Warner Horizon for bringing these characters to life on page and screen #LongLiveLongmire**

* * *

Vic had always followed her gut. It usually didn't lead her astray. And she prided herself on her ability to see through the bullshit and glimpse the truth. At least at work that had been true. It was evident to anyone who looked at her service record and commendations that she was a damn good cop. So how was it she was seemingly incompetent when it came to her personal life? She hadn't dated much in high school. Never really had time for it and not too many adolescent boys are not intimidated by an attractive intelligent girl who isn't afraid to speak her mind and has zero interest in being homecoming queen or president of the student government. She just hadn't been able to tolerate the idea of dealing with their little boy insecurities or being with someone who couldn't keep up with her. Sure, there were a few boys who had asked her out but it never ended well. Once they tried to get demanding about her time, or why she never wore her hair down or got too handsy she was likely to break their nose in response. It was one of the side-effects of growing up the only girl in a house with three brothers. Once she started on the path to law enforcement, she had all but sealed the deal that she would always be viewed as a hard ass who no one wanted to bother with trying to date. And she couldn't keep track of the number of times people had assumed she was a lesbian. All that had changed when she met Gorski. He seemed to get her and she allowed herself to be blinded by his attentions. He took advantage of what seems to be the one area where her bull shit detector is broken: men. After she found out the truth about Ed being married she said she would never let it happen again, she fell back on her teenaged assertion that she didn't need a man to make her life complete.

She had met Shaun two months before she had discovered what a douchebag Gorski was. She still remembers the day she first saw him. It was early on a Friday and she had been to the gym working out her regular frustrations on a punching bag. She decided to grab a coffee for the walk home and had ducked into a little hole in the wall that didn't use faux European sounding names to describe their offerings. Shaun had been in front of her in line and had ordered a large dark roast with two sugars, the same thing she had on her mind. When he had turned away from the counter he had almost run into her for looking at the papers in his hand.

"Watch it buddy."

He had looked up at her and slowly smiled. "Sorry, I didn't see you. Not usually too many people in here. Most seem to prefer that froofy coffee house down the street."

Vic had nodded in agreement and stepped aside to let him pass. Their morning coffee meetings continued a few times a week and eventually they started to talk, about simple things: The weather, the Eagles and the shitty season they had been having, the drama of city politics. He wasn't someone with whom she may have normally spent time, but they did have something in common. Shaun was driven and ambitious at work just like she was. That was probably what drew her to him the most; he didn't seem threatened by her career. When her relationship with Gorski had blown up, she didn't make it in for coffee for a few days. She needed to break up her routine a bit and she had taken to getting into the station early to avoid having to run into Gorski on the stairs since he was less than pleased with her decision to end things. It was the next Wednesday when she arrived at her desk to find a large dark roast with two sugars. It was in it's typical nondescript cup with "Have missed our little chats" and a phone number written on the side in pen. It was a simple gesture, but something no one had every done before. I took her several more day until she sat at the kitchen table at her apartment and dialed his number and really started down the path that eventually brought her to to this place.

That all seems so long ago now. Sure, they may have gotten married a little quickly, but he was so different from the relationship she had been in before that he had been like a breath of fresh air. She had no idea that he was more of the same, just in a different package. Turns out he was no better than Gorski had been, lying to her to get her to move from Philly. Whatever problems they have had in their marriage all pale in the knowledge of that betrayal. Sure, she didn't like how he had become increasingly more controlling and turns out having a husband obsessed with work was less desireable than she had realized it would be but she could deal with those things. They hadn't been really happy for a while, but it was tolerable, nothing a few nights sleeping apart couldn't repair. Well, that along with some great make-up sex. They had never had a problem in that department. Besides, she wasn't one to give up easily. She had made the committment to marry the man, so she would tough it out, just like she had pushed through things her entire life. But she was getting tired of fighting and the older she got, the more she longed for a relationship that wasn't so hard.

So what was her gut telling her now and should she follow it? Her husband, the man who is supposed to be the one person she could trust completely had lied to her. This wasn't just a little lie either. She had always said that being lied to was the kiss of death, a deal breaker. She hated it more than anything in a relationship, friendship or otherwise. It made her question everything Shaun had ever told her and everything their marriage had been about.

She smelled coffee and could hear Shaun moving around downstairs. Her head was still hurting but not as intensely as it had the first 24 hours. Thankfully the nausea had gone away. She slowly sat up on the edge of the bed. What day was it anyway? She reached for her phone on the bedside table but it wasn't there. That's strange. She always keeps it there when she is in bed, in case she gets a call from work. She must have left it downstairs in the fog of returning home from the hospital and that awful realization of how she had really ended up in Wyoming. She was sure her phone was probably in the kitchen and there was no reason to put this conversation off any longer than she already had. She pushed herself to standing and started toward the stairs.


	7. Chapter 7

I hear her footsteps coming down the stairs before I see her. She is moving more slowly than usual. I wonder if that is from her injuries or a reluctance to see my face. I am hoping it is the former, that she understands why I did what I did, that it was all for her, to keep her safe. Surely she can see that. After she heard me say that I had requested the transfer out of Philadelphia she had shut down. She'd gone upstairs and hadn't come back down. I'd decided it would be better to sleep downstairs rather than go up to the bedroom we share. My injuries weren't as severe as hers so I could handle the couch just fine. I did go up several times during the night to check on her but made the decision not to wake her in spite of the doctor's orders. I'd go up, make sure she was still breathing and that her body temperature felt normal and then come back downstairs. I'd been awake now for several hours, just waiting. The only distraction I'd had was the phone call from Walt. I had been obsessing about that ever since. Why had he called Vic's cell instead of the home phone when he knew she had to be at home? He must have been trying to avoid talking to me. That only confirms my assertion that that he's crossed a line, maybe not physically, but definitely mentally and emotionally. I just have to figure out what to do about it.

Vic finally makes it down to the kitchen. She grabs a mug from the cupboard and pours herself a cup of coffee before meeting my eyes with her own.

"Morning"

She blinks, "Morning"

"How are you feeling today?"

She pulls a chair out from under the table and sits. "Better"

"Good" I sit down across from her.

Neither of us say anything for several moments.

"Do you remember that coffee shop where we met?"

I'm not sure where she is going with this, but I'm glad she is talking so I roll with it.

"Yes, I do. I miss that place. Why do you ask?"

"I was thinking about it when I woke up this morning."

"You were missing it too?"

"No, not really. I was just remembering that time in our lives, when we first met."

"You were so hot that first morning I saw you. You cannot know how attractive you were in those workout clothes."

Vic shoots him a dirty look, "Now's not the time for that Shaun. I'm being serious."

"So am I."

She rolls her eyes and continues, "If I had known during those brief morning talks that we would eventually be here I would have walked out, found a new place to get coffee, and never gone back."

"That's a little harsh."

"You want to know what's harsh Shaun? Dragging me to Wyoming under false pretenses, lying to my face in order to get me to do what you knew I would have never agreed to do otherwise."

So it was the reluctance to see me that had caused the slow descent down the stairs; she certainly hadn't taken long to reinforce that point.

"You knew what I had been through with Gorski, how he lied and manipulated me our entire relationship and when you were given the chance to be different, when you had the opportunity to be a man and tell me the truth about what you were thinking you chose to lie, just like he had done."

She picks her phone up off the counter and looks at at. After punching a few buttons she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before looking directly at him.

"Any other confessions you need to make while we are putting everything out there?"

I knew there was no reason to try to avoid the inevitable, "Walt called."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Call me crazy, but I thought you needed your rest more than you needed to talk to your boss. You're surely allowed to take some time off to recover from your injuries."

"What did he want?"

"But then, he's more than your boss isn't he?"

She puts her head in her hands, "Shaun, what did Walt want?"

"He said he was checking on you, wanted to know how you were doing...He told me to take care of you."

"Oh, you've already done enough of that, dont you think? I don't need you to 'take care of me'. I can do it myself."

"Yeah, I know, that has always been one of our problems, hasn't it. You want to do everything yourself, on your own, with no one's input. Forget the fact that marriage is supposed to be a partnership Vic."

"Don't talk to me about this being a partnership Shaun. You destroyed any partnership we may have had when you brought me here."


	8. Chapter 8

Vic had never been more relieved to wake up and find a note from Shaun on the kitchen counter as she had been this morning. He was being sent out of town again for a least a week, this time to supervise the installation of some new equipment at their operation on the Alaskan North Slope. A week away from him was just what she needed to be able to finish healing and regroup. Their conversation the previous day had gone from bad to worse and by the time it had finally wound down she barely had the strength to eat a little something and then go back upstairs to bed. She hadn't even had a chance to call Walt back. Well, she'd get to that today. Shaun must have been pretty stealthy while packing this morning. Normally he wakes her up rummaging around in the closet and bathroom to get ready for one of his trips but she hadn't heard a thing this time.

She took a long, hot shower which really helped her to feel like herself again. One look in the mirror however revealed that the dark circles and bruising left from the ordeal at Chance's weren't going to go away as quickly as she would have liked. She's never wanted to be seen as a victim but it's hard to avoid it when you bear marks like these. Well, long sleeves and sunglasses would help hide a little and it was the best she could do if she wanted to get out of the house, which she did immensely. She had things that needed to be taken care of. First on the list was an attorney. Unfortunately not the DA, the public defender's office nor the high dollar defense attorneys she had occassion to work with would fit the bill. She knew Cady specializes in family law but Vic considered her off limits for this one. Yeah, Vic knew all about attorney / client privilege but she was not willing to take a chance on Walt finding out what was going on, at least not until she was ready for him to know. He needed to be kept completely out of the loop until then. Besides, Cady needed to be able to focus every ounce of her energy on Henry's case. Until then, Vic was going to try to help keep Cady's distractions to a minimum. Omar could probably give her a good recommendation considering his marital track record but he didn't really need to know what was going on either. She had only just gotten him to back off and leave her alone. If he knew she wanted to speak with a divorce lawyer he would get interested in her all over again. That was a hassle she just didn't need right now. Besides, there was a pretty good chance he would let it slip to Walt. The only person she could ask that she could trust to keep it a secret was Henry and he had never gotten close enough to marriage to ever even imagine needing legal advice regarding a divorce, but, of all the possibilities, he was her best option.

She was relieved to see a mostly empty parking lot at the Red Pony .

"Vic, I am surprised to see you. To what do I owe this pleasure?

"I need some help."

"How may I be of service?"

"I need to find a good divorce lawyer. Okay, not a good divorce lawyer, I want a shark, someone not afraid to go in for the kill."

"Sounds serious."

"It is."

"There is no hope for reconciliation?"

"Look Henry, I don't think it's any big secret that Shaun and I have had our differences, but this time I'm done. He's gone too far for us to go back."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know."

"Have you spoken to Walt about this?"

"NO, and I don't intend to."

"Okay, he will not hear anything about it from me."

"I was kinda counting on that Henry. You respect people's privacy more than most and Walt trusts you completely, which is good enough for me."

"Lucky for you Vic, people will talk to their bartender about all kinds of things they refuse to share with anyone else. I think I can help you with what you are needing."

* * *

Vic was on her way to Sheridan with a business card in her back pocket. Henry had actually been helpful in finding an attorney there who might be a good fit. She was glad it wasn't someone from an office in Durant. She hadn't really wanted to risk being seen by anyone she knew. That was totally unlikely where she was headed. She had called from Durant and luckily they had a cancellation. She barely had enough time to get there. She pulled into the parking lot and went inside. She gave the secretary her name and sat down in the waiting area. The secretary picked up her phone and punched a button, "Ms. Moretti is here." She stood after hanging up the handset. "Follow me please."

Vic stood, glad it was a short wait. She wanted to get this show on the road. They went down a narrow hallway without any windows and stopped at a closed door on the left side. The secretary opened the door and showed her into a lush office filled with dark wood furniture and a floor to celing bookcase along one wall.

"Ms. Moretti, please come in."

Vic found herself looking into the very blue eyes of Judy Wallace, Attorney-at-law. She extended her hand to Vic's and shook it before taking her chair behind the desk, "Please have a seat. Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes please."

Judy nodded to her secretary who quickly produced a steaming cup of dark roast. It smelled delicious.

"Now Ms. Moretti, how can I help you today?"

Vic removed her sunglasses and hung them on her shirt. She looked back up and seeing the look in the lawyer's eyes immediately regretted that particular habit.

"Oh no, my husband didn't do this."

Judy crossed her hands and set placed them on her desk, "Okay." She didn't look like she was buying it.

"We were taken hostage a few days ago while taking a trip to Jackson Hole."

Judy continued her steady stare, "Why don't you start at the beginning Ms. Moretti."

* * *

**I was never totally satisfied with Shaun filing for divorce, I wanted Vic to be the one to do it. So I changed it in my story. Author's prerogative I suppose :)**


	9. Chapter 9

It sounded quiet at the top of the stairs and she hadn't seen Walt's truck when she pulled up. The drive back from Sheridan had been a pretty solemn one for her. Sure she was mad as hell at Shaun for his deceit and lies but she was sad too. She hadn't gotten married with plans not to stay that way. She had known people who got married saying that if it didn't work out then they could always end it and look for someone new. That wasn't how she had approached marriage. She had watched her parents struggle for years but still always manage to make things work and stay together, even through an affair. She felt strangely ashamed and didn't want to call her mother and tell her what she'd just done. She thought her father may be more understanding, but not her mother who still attended mass regularly. Lena Moretti may have been the one who cheated on her husband, but she will tell you it was never to push him away but a strange way to try to pull him to her and to ultimately strengthen their relationship. Vic wasn't sure it had done that, but her dad tried not to take her mother as much for granted as he once had. Even so, Vic knew this was what had to happen for her and Shaun. She could forgive a lot of things but for her, when the trust was broken it was broken. She had to let Shaun off the hook. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life making him pay for his mistakes and she was worried that was what would happen if they stayed together. He willingly married her but had tried to change her in some way ever since the reception had ended. She'll talk to him about it when he gets home next week. She owes him that at least. The intense anger she had been oozing all the way to the attorney's office has dissipated during their conversation and she didn't want to make him suffer like she had wanted to before speaking with the lawyer. Even so, she is glad she has someone who will make sure Shaun does not take advantage of her in the division of property. She doesn't want much, just some financial cushion as compensation for the decrease in income that she experienced with the move to Wyoming. She doesn't want to have to live in some shack due to her lowered income. She hopes Shaun has enough regard for her and their life together to be reasonable. He makes plenty of money with more lined up in the future. She doesn't want monthly alimony or any of his pension or retirement. If Shaun agrees, she is even willing to just use the one attorney to work everything out saving them both in the long run. She reaches the top of the stairs and sees Ruby.

"Vic, glad to see you out and around."

"Thanks Ruby, by the way, the casserole you dropped off at the house was amazing. We might have both starved to death without it. I have been sleeping a lot and Shaun isn't much of a cook."

"Glad to help out Vic. When are you coming back to work?"

"That's part of why I'm here. Do you know when Walt will be back?"

"Jacob Nighthorse gave him a tip on David Ridges' whereabouts so he went to follow up on it. "

"Okay, I don't want to bother him. I plan to come in tomorrow morning to test the waters, see how my head is doing. If Walt needs me before then, he can call. I will keep my cell phone tonight so I don't miss him if he calls."

"What about Shaun, aren't you worried about waking him up? He's recovering too."

"Nah, he sleeps like a rock. Besides, he's in Alaska for work."


	10. Chapter 10

Ruby glances at the clock on the wall as Vic heads down the stairs. Walt had left the station just a short time before Vic arrived. She hesitates only briefly before picking up the radio.

* * *

Vic's unlocking her front door as I pull up to her house. I hadn't realized how badly I needed to see her until she was there right in front of me. She visibly tenses in the beam of my headlights and quickly turns to see who is there. I shut the lights off quickly so she can see it's me. I hadn't wanted to scare her but of course she would be more alert than usual after what she's been through. She opens the door and walks in, holding it open for me to follow and then closing and locking it behind me, ever diligent, ever cautious.

"Walt, what are you doing here? Ruby said you were going after Ridges."

"I had left just before you got to the station and wasn't far out of town yet. When Ruby advised me of your situation I wanted to come by to see you. I knew a half hour's difference wouldn't hurt when it comes to catching up with Ridges. Nighthorse said he's with the medicine woman. If that's the case, he'll be there a while. How are you feeling?"

"My situation?"

"Ruby said Shaun was out of town again. She was worried about you being alone right now. I am too."

"I'm fine Walt, really. The pain in my head is much better. Doc said the first 24 hours were the critical ones. I've gotten through that. The bruises and scrapes on my wrist are hurting like hell but there's nothing anyone can do about that. I just need to take it a easy for a while."

"Even so, I don't like you being alone right now."

"Well what are we going to do about it Walt? I'm a big girl you know, not like Shaun was going to put off going to his precious job to hang around here and play nursemaid to his injured wife."

I'm not sure how to respond to that. I still don't know what she overheard at the hospital and now doesn't seem like to right time to broach that topic.

I reach out and touch her arm, her warmth spreading into my hand, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Look, will you do me a favor and call me when you wake up in the morning? I don't care what time it is. You should be able to reach me either at my cabin or the station. And if you need anything, anything at all, I'm here."

"Easy for you to say Walt, you're going to spend the next few hours chasing after a crazy man and you don't have a cell phone."

"You know what I mean Vic."

"Yes I do, and thanks. I'm just a little crankier than usual, I'm sure you understand. Look, I plan to come into work tomorrow anyway."

"Are you sure that's a good idea."

"No point in sitting around this empty house all by myself."

I study her carefully. She looks stronger than she did at the hospital. She's standing straighter and her eyes seem more clear. Even so, the circles under them give away how far she still has to go.

"Another solid night's sleep under your belt before you come back to duty will make me feel better about it."

"Well I plan on hittin' the hay as soon as your scrawny ass gets back to work."

I squeeze her arm lightly and reluctantly let go.

"Okay then."

"Be careful Walt"

I pause, that's what Martha used to tell me when I would head out to work.

"I'll try Vic"

* * *

I'm having a hard time falling asleep. I finished up Ruby's casserole and took a bath before bed but the warm and cozy feeling they provided wasn't extending beyond the physical to my thoughts. I saw the concern on Walt's face while he was here. He doesn't need to be distracted from his task at hand by worrying about me. That's why he can't know about what is going on with Shaun. He has too much on his plate right now. He doesn't need any of my drama to pull his focus off. He needs to nail Ridges, get Branch back under control and find out who really killed his wife's murderer so Henry stays out of prison. Victoria Moretti should fall at the bottom of his priority list right now.


	11. Chapter 11

The rapid knocking on my front door wakes me out of a dead sleep. What the hell? Who could possibly be here this time of the morning? I ease my way down the stairs. A quick look through the window reveals a car with Newett Energy Company on the side. I silde open the lock and forcefully pull the door open. The man standing there with his arm poised to knock again is caught off guard. I stare at him.

"Hi, I'm John from the legal department at Newett. I work with your husband?"

"Yes, I'm familiar with where my husband works. He's not home right now, what do you want?"

"Okay, well, Shaun asked me to draw up some preliminary paperwork and drop it by for you to look over." He hands me a manila envelope, "It's nothing official. I understand that Shaun flew out to Alaska yesterday and may be unavailable by phone so if you have any questions you can give me a call." He pushes a business card into my hand, "Okay then, have a nice day."

He quickly turns and walks back to the car.

I close the door and drop onto the couch. Taking a deep breath, I open the envelope and start to read the letter on top of the stack of papers.

_Dear Vic,_

"Son-of-a-bitch." It comes out of my mouth before I can stop it.

_You went up to bed about an hour ago and I can't sleep. Seems this may be the best way to communicate with you anyway. We didn't really get anywhere trying to talk. I guess we haven't been listening to each other for a while when I think about it._

_This is not just one of my usual work trips. It's a trial run of sorts. The company is wanting to send me to Alaska permanently. They thought I turned down the Australia transfer because it was outside the U.S. and that I might be more inclined to accept this one. Depending on how this week goes and considering the shambles our marriage has become, I think I probably will. Even though this is the company's idea and not mine, I don't expect you to go with me this time. To be honest, I'm not sure I want you to. As much as you've hated Wyoming, you wouldn't make it in Alaska; It's way more isolated with way more snow. I've done enough to make you unhappy. Too much more than I care to admit. I'm ready to stop doing that. We can't keep doing the same things over and over again and expect our relationship to not be affected. _

_I asked John to draw up divorce papers for us. He's been a good friend and offered to help off the clock. If you're in agreement just let him know and he can file the necessary paperwork at the courthouse. If there is anything you would like changed, we can talk about it when I get back. I'm not going to try to make your life any harder than it already is. I asked him to include a cash settlement so you would be taken care of. I know you are not the kind of woman who wants to get regular monthly support from me so I thought it best to make other arrangements. If you choose to go back east it will help you get settled there and allow you time to find a job without having to worry about how you will pay your bills. I am the one that brought you here, I think it's only fair that I help you to get out if that's what you want. If you choose to stay in Wyoming it__ will be enough to cover what's owed on the house with some left over. I've made enough decisions for you, you get to make this one yourself. Know that whatever I did for you was born out of love._

___Shaun_

A letter. Leave it to my husband to ask for a divorce in a letter. At least I was going to have the decency to talk to him in person about it. Of course, his way is less emotional. There doesn't have to be any more yelling or hurt feelings. I read through the rest of the papers. He seems to have thought of everything and is being more than generous. Any second thoughts I might have been having about my meeting with the attorney yesterday are irrelevant at this point. Shaun wants out.


	12. Chapter 12

I hadn't planned on going into work until a little later than this but I'm up, so I may as well get ready and drive in. It might not be a bad idea to get there a little early just to get settled and caught up on the goings on in Durant that I have missed out on the last couple of days. Before I leave I pull out the business card John had left with the divorce papers. I call his direct line and leave a short message: 'File them'. I figure that is all he needs and the sooner this is taken care of the better. I get in my truck and crank the engine. Ruby is at the office when I arrive. I swear, that woman never sleeps.

"Morning Ruby."

"Good Morning Vic, nice to have you back. I put some reports on your desk for you to review to get up to speed our open cases. Thought it might make it easier than having to wait for Walt or Ferg to fill you in on everything.

"Thanks, that's a big help. Ruby, have you heard anything from Walt this morning? He had asked me to call him before I came into the office but he didn't answer at his cabin and he is obviously not here."

"Maybe he was in the shower when you called him."

"Yeah, maybe. I'm just surprised he didn't call me back on my cell when he got out. It must have been at least an hour ago when I tried him. Surely his showers don't take that long." Vic pictures Walt in the shower with steam rising up from the hot water running over his head and down his chest. Whoa, okay that needs to stop right now! Can't be thinking of things like that. I visibly shakes my head to clear the image out of it.

"You okay Vic? Your head isn't bothering you is it? I can call Doc Weston to tell him you need to see him if you'd like."

"No Ruby, I'm okay, trying to get back in the groove of things makes my head hurt but not in an injured, concussion kind of a way."

"If you're sure. Let me know if you change your mind."

"I will Ruby."

"What's the latest on Branch?"

Ruby hesitates before answering, "We got a call last night that he held Travis up with a shotgun and stole his car."

"Shit, he's going from bad to worse, isn't he? Do we know where he is?"

"Not yet."

I sit at my desk and cannot stop thinking about Walt and where he might be. It is not like him to not check in. I have a bad feeling that something has happened but I don't really have anything to base it on. He'll be pissed if I try to go and look for him. I'll wait and see if he comes in, but I'm not waiting long. I call his home number from my desk but once again am greeted by Martha's voice when the answering machine picks up. About an hour later Ferg wanders in.

"Vic, you're back. That's great!"

"Thanks Ferg, hey, you haven't heard anything from Walt have you?"

"No, not since he headed out to find David Ridges and asked me to..." his sentence trailed off.

"Asked you to what Ferg?"

"Nothin'"

"Ferg, don't lie to me, what did Walt ask you to do?"

He looks over toward Ruby's desk but she's focused on her computer screen.

"He asked me to keep an eye on your house last night. He was worried Branch might come after you and he knew he wouldn't be available because he needed to follow up on Ridges before he lost his trail.

This is a perfect example of a why Walt doesn't need to know anymore about my drama than he already does. He's continuing to take it on himself to keep me safe, a habit he started after Gorski first tracked me to Durant. I shouldn't have let him know Shaun was out of town. Then he wouldn't have been so worried about me. But right now there is a bigger problem.

"So the last place anyone knows of Walt he was going after Ridges: a man who faked his own death, tried to kill Branch and actually believes he can travel through time, in other words a total whack job? I don't like this, I don't like this at all."

My cop instincts kick in. I start mentally going down the list of things I know and steps to take from here in order to find Walt when I hear Ferg from over by the window.

"Hey guys, come here. It's Walt, and he's with Branch."

I move to the window and look for myself. I see him walking toward the office. Thank God he's alright. I breathe easily for the first time since I was so rudely awakened this morning.


	13. Chapter 13

It's all I can do to keep from going over to Walt as he enters the office door. It wouldn't be appropriate to throw my arms around him here though I need the reassurance and contact as much as I did that day in the hospital: a physical confirmation that he's really here, that he's okay. As he fills us in on the events of the last several hours I cannot help but wonder about Martha. How did she handle moments like this? She had to have experienced them. Of course, she was his wife. No one would have thought it strange for her to rush to him and grab on tightly as if she would never let go. I can imagine him rubbing her back, talking softly to her in reassurance, holding her as long as it took until she was ready to release him back to his duties. People would want for them to have their moment because they knew it was necessary for him to have her grounding in order to be able to effectively do his job. She was a part of him. He was devastated when he lost her. He's starting to come back more and more as he gets closer to solving her murder. I can see it in his eyes and I feel a small twinge of jealousy. At the same time, the devotion and love he has for his wife is part of what draws me to him. It shows the kind of man he truly is in his very core.

I wasn't going to let him go see Jacob Nighthorse alone. I knew he would need a second set of eyes and someone to provide backup if necessary. Unfortunately it didn't yield the result he had hoped for and Nighthorse had done little to endear himself to Walt by comparing his efforts to those of Martha's. Though it probably didn't help my recovery I'm glad I ended up between Jacob and Walt's fist. He was able to express some emotion and get some physical release of all that's been trapped inside him the last two years. My nose will heal and Walt didn't need a pending assault charge to make his life even more complicated than it already is. Denver was another story altogether. There was no slowing Walt down once he headed out and he didn't ask me to go with him. I knew Denver was something Walt needed to do on his own.

I still can't believe Walt and Henry went to Colorado and dug up Miller Beck's body. A request to exhume the body may have been denied but Cady could have justified the request based on the 14 minute autopsy. Walt might not have gotten away with it if Beck had any family to complain about it. Luckily, he didn't. It had been Henry's idea initially to go find Beck's body but Walt went along with it. Desperate times I suppose. Walt has always been willing to push the envelope in the name of justice. This shows the lengths Walt will go to for his family, for his tribe. Walt's inner circle is not easily breached but when you're in, there's no going back. I think that's where Lizzie made her mistake. She tried to force her way in, to rush him into places he wasn't yet ready to go. She pushed herself onto his family and friends. She obviously knew what she wanted but lacked the patience to get there. I'm glad really. She had the kind of determined and independent personality that Walt can respect. If she had played her cards right, it might have been her one day in Walt's arms receiving the comfort that he had made it through to another day. I can't say I feel bad for her. She made her own mistakes. Hopefully she learned from them.

Walt and Henry's gamble paid off. They may have impulsively dug Miller Beck up but they were smart to quickly hand his body over and allow the techs from Cheyenne to gather the evidence. Because of that, they were able to force the DA's hand into dropping the charges against Henry. I would have loved to have been there in Henry's office when they presented the evidence to Sloan and Fales. That Denver detective is such a cocky son-of-a-bitch. I would have loved to have seen him put in his place. I drive out to Walt's cabin to tell him congratulations on the good news, something I'm wanting to do in person. We haven't had a chance to really talk since before he went after Ridges. I also want to offer to be his designated driver for Henry's party. It's a party for him too after all. His brother is free and he's another step closer to finding out why Martha had been targeted. I hoped he was going to allow himself some time to relax and enjoy this victory before jumping right back in putting together the case against Nighthorse. When I arrive at his place I can't find him. His rig is there but he isn't. Maybe Cady or Henry picked him up and they are already over at the Red Pony celebrating. I head that way, excited at the prospect of seeing him with a smile on his face. It's been a while and he deserves it.


	14. Chapter 14

Walt's mind is full as he rides back to his cabin with the empty tea box in his saddlebag. Cady's right, he shouldn't have waited as long as he did to scatter Martha's ashes. He hopes she will understand it was something he needed to do alone and that he will take her out there soon. She had been there many times as she was growing up. Walt and Martha typically had a family picnic on the site at least once or twice a year, and always on their anniversary. Cady had gone with them until she entered her early teen angst ridden years and thought it too much of a burden to consider her parents could possibly have a romantic side to them. Walt and Martha hadn't been there together since the cancer diagnosis. She had become sick very quickly and there never seemed to be enough time. He wished they would have made the time when they had the chance. Of course Walt had not been able to bring himself to even think of returning there since she'd been gone. It was good to see it again and be with her there as he set her free. Martha had been Walt's constant reminder of all that is good in the world, but by continuing to hide her away and hold on to her so tightly he was starting to lose his grasp on the positive influence she had on his life.

As he puts his saddle away his thoughts move into the present and the next steps he is about to take. He hears Martha's voice in his head as he enters his cabin. "Be careful Walt." Every time work called him away from her it was the same. It was her mantra and his tie to home and the security that lived there. He thinks back to the last time he heard those same words just a few days ago. Vic couldn't have known she was taking him back to the feeling of determination that he would do everything in his power to come back through that door to the arms of the woman he loved. Only this time it was a burning need to make it back to her. The echo that emanated though Vic's words touched him in a way that almost made it no longer matter to him that she wasn't his, that he had no right to feel the way he did. Even so, he knows he has to keep his love hidden from her. He had been successful in maintaining a safe distance for a least a short time until Ruby had contacted him and told him Vic had stopped by the station. Ruby was concerned that Shaun was out of town again and insisted I go by to check on her if possible, especially with Branch still on the warpath. She had even made the suggestion that Ferg help keep an eye on her. He wondered how much of that came from Ruby's understanding that Vic means more to him than she should. That woman doesn't miss much. Maybe Ruby was letting him off the hook, allowing him to protect Vic as best as he could under the circumstances. It had been such a relief to see her and remember again that Chance had not been successful in taking her away from him. Though he knew it was risky, he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and touching her. After their embrace in the hospital he suspected it would only become more and more difficult to fight that urge now that he knew what it felt like to hold her. It was a feeling he wanted to experience again and again.

Since he lost Martha Walt had been taking more chances than was safe, almost taunting death to come and take him too. He had felt he had nothing left to lose. His feelings for Vic have changed that. He felt now like he had everything to lose but he knew there wasn't anything he could do about it. Even so he refused to drag Vic down with him. Too slowly the necessary pieces had come together to allow him to finally reach some closure regarding Martha's death but it's not over yet. He would forge ahead and walk the path set before him. The suffering of the last two years is working its way toward a resolution. Still, adjusting to life without his wife, Cady's withdrawal when she learned the truth, the election, Cady's accident, and Henry's trial have all added additional layers of weight upon his shoulders. He has included others in his efforts to ease his agony, some who came willingly and some who did not, but he would walk the rest of the way in solitude. He thinks of Henry, his partner through it all. Henry was as committed to finding Martha's killer as he had been. He didn't deserve a friend as good as the one he had in the Cheyenne Nation. Henry's celebrating his freedom right now, as it should be. He would understand Walt's absence from the party.

Walt moves deliberately as he checks his colt and places it in its holster before picking up the rifle and heading out to his truck. This time it's Vic's voice he hears as he walks out of his cabin door, "Be careful Walt."


	15. Chapter 15 - Option A

**I have taken inspiration from Auntioaty's question as to whether Vic is really there or just in Walt's head and am going to provide two possible paths to this story, kind of like a choose your own adventure book. If you want to follow the story line that flows from Walt actually hearing Vic say the words "Be careful Walt" then read the chapters marked with an A. If you want to follow the story line that flows from Walt hearing Vic say the words in his head, then read the chapters marked B. Please let me know how you think this works. If it gets too complicated, I can end In my arms at chapter 14 and make two different stories that head out in different directions on their own. **

* * *

Walt stops in his tracks. It's as if his thoughts have brought her here to him. He turns in the direction of her voice to find her leaning against the railing at the far end of the porch. He'd been so focused in the cabin he hadn't heard her truck. His heart rate immediately begins to speed up as soon as he lays his eyes on her and he has to consciously take slow deep breaths to keep from going over to her and taking her in his arms.

"Where are you headed with that rifle?"

"Vic, what are you doing here?"

"I came by earlier and couldn't find you. Since your truck was here I assumed someone had picked you up. But then you weren't at Henry's party either and while I thought that in and of itself wasn't that unusual, I did find it odd that neither Henry nor Cady had heard from you since you left the Red Pony earlier today. You weren't answering your phone so I decided to head back out here to track you down myself."

"Been busy." _Stay the course Walt._

"Doing what? You weren't at work. You weren't celebrating with your family. Just what was it that kept you so occupied?"

"Vic, you should go"

"Where do you want me to go Walt? Home to sit by myself and worry about you? Back to the party where I can be surrounded by people and worry about you? Or maybe you just want me to go to Alaska and be with Shaun as his dutiful wife for the rest of the week. Even there I'll still be worried about you."

Walt tenses when Vic says her husband's name. With Shaun is the last place he wants her to be but he realizes that is exactly what he should encourage her to do: Take the rest of the week off and go be with her husband on his trip. Then she wouldn't see what he's about to do anymore than Martha would. Besides, with Vic not around it will be easier to keep his thoughts in line, to stay on track.

"None of those choices seem overly pleasant, because each involves you having shut everyone out again. You can take a break you know. Allow yourself to feel some relief before you go charging headlong into trying to nail Jacob Nighthorse. I know that has to be the next thing that's consuming you and pulling you away from everyone who cares about you. He was too close to Ridges for him to have not been a factor in Martha's murder. We'll figure out what role he played and how you're going to get that bastard, but for now why can't you just rest in the knowledge that Henry is safe. He's free! You did that. Relax and enjoy it for a minute. Nighthorse isn't going anywhere."

"If it weren't for me Henry wouldn't have had to be freed. I'm the one that got him into that mess in the first place and I need to end it once and for all."

"Bullshit! Henry would be insulted to hear you say that and Martha would be angry too. He got himself into that mess because he loves you and he loved her, because he's been your best friend for 39 years. He made the choice to help you. He made the choice to keep Miller Beck's teeth to keep you honest."

Walt can hear Vic's cell phone start to vibrate but she ignores it as she slowly walks toward him.

"Walt, you can't do this. If you go after Nighthorse now, like this, what was all this crap for?"

The phone stops and Vic continues to inch forward, the way she would approach an injured animal.

"Walt, think about Cady. She's lost her mother, sacrificed her career to stay here in Durant with you. She doesn't need to lose you too. You need to be here for her. You owe her that. She doesn't deserve to have to visit her dad in prison."

He steps off the porch and moves toward his truck. She's right, but he can't have that distraction right now.

"Think about Henry, he was willing to give up everything for you."

He pulls open the door of his truck and sets the rifle inside.

"Think about Branch, who's going to help him climb out of the abyss he's been sucked into the last several months? God knows his father can't help him."

Her phone starts to vibrate again.

"You should really answer that, " _Walk away Vic._

He climbs into the seat and starts to pull the door closed when she is suddenly there beside him, keeping the door open.

"Dammit Walt, what about me? Chance would have killed me if you hadn't been willing to sacrifice yourself in my place. Without you I'd be dead."

She's too close. He can feel the warmth rolling off her body and it's taking away his ability to focus on the next steps he needs to take.

Once again the sound of the vibrating phone breaks the silence, filling the small amount of space left between them. She yanks it from her pocket, glances at the screen and punches a button "What?!"

As she listens to the voice on the other end of the phone her expression shifts from frustration to shock. She turns her face to Walt's and he can tell something is wrong. He catches a glimpse of an owl sitting on the fence behind her. Something is definitely wrong.


	16. Chapter 16 - Option B

**I have taken inspiration from Auntioaty's question as to whether Vic is really there or just in Walt's head and am going to provide two possible paths to this story, kind of like a choose your own adventure book. If you want to follow the story line that flows from Walt actually hearing Vic say the words "Be careful Walt" then read the chapters marked with an A. If you want to follow the story line that flows from Walt hearing Vic say the words in his head, then read the chapters marked B. Please let me know how you think this works. If it gets too complicated, I can end In my arms at chapter 14 and make two different stories that head out in different directions on their own. **

* * *

The sight of the owl perched on the fence stops me in my tracks. As we silently regard one another I know I have never seen one it's equal. It's size alone makes it a special specimen but it's the eyes that make the biggest impression on me. They're an unusual variation. I take pause and contemplate the significance of this anomaly. It takes me back to the time I spent with Henry at his grandmother's home on the reservation when we were growing up. She loved to tell the stories of her people to her grandchildren. Henry and I were nearly inseparable at the time and I was often included in the cultural lessons. I attended the Methodist church with my mother every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, but my other spiritual training was Indian.

Owls hold great significance to the Cheyenne. Due to their nocturnal behavior they are most closely associated with death and the afterlife. They are often thought to be either messengers sent from the spirits of the dead or the spirits themselves. It's the ear tufts of Great Horned Owls in particular that are the signs of their connection to spiritually powerful beings and the Cheyenne hold them in higher esteem than any other owl. Some tribes believe it's this owl that stands along the star road that leads to Seana, the camp of the dead, allowing some spirits to pass and sentencing others to a life wandering the earth. That is powerful indeed, to be the gatekeeper to eternity. Not a job I'd want to have.

Cheyenne warriors would sometimes attach feathers from owls to their shields and weapons when they went to battle, or wear them to impart the owl's special abilities when hunting. Owls are excellent predators, some attacking and consuming other birds as well as mammals as large as themselves. Their silent wings give them a distinct advantage when hunting because their prey cannot hear them coming. I think about the owl feathers adorning the Cheyenne Rifle of the Dead that had been given to me by Lonnie Little Bird. The rifle seems to make a lot of Cheyenne nervous. Many believe the rifle is looking for people to take back to Seana. I don't know about that, but I know that anyone shot by that rifle isn't going to be on earth for long.

I can't help but keep focus on this owl's eyes. Great Horned Owls have eyes in varying shades of yellow sometimes shifting into orange. But the eyes of this particular owl are so deeply orange they appear almost red. The color red is considered to be spiritually powerful in Cheyenne culture. So what message is this most powerful bird here to impart to me? Did Martha send it? Is she letting me know she's okay or is she sending me a warning? I choose to believe this owl has come to share it's stealth and quickness as I set out to hunt down my own prey. I turn from the owl and walk to my truck. It will be easier to catch Nighthorse if, like the owl, he doesn't hear me coming.

The physical act of driving onto the reservation reminds me of previous times I have entered this land uninvited. It carries the most similarities to when I served a federal warrant and arrested Malachi. That time it was official business and I took Henry with me. This time I go alone and without the backing of my office. Vic's admonition to be careful continues to sound in my head and I audibly answer her, "I'll try Vic, I'll try." I do not pass any other vehicles and manage to make my way to Nighthorse's home unstopped by tribal police. The reservation is quiet, perhaps because many of the people are gathered at the Red Pony to help celebrate Henry's freedom. It appears there is no one home at Jacob's house so I pull to the side and exit the truck. After confirming the doors to the house are locked I sit and place my rifle across my knee, waiting for Jacob to arrive home. I'm a patient man and will wait as long as it takes.

* * *

Information for the meaning of the owl in Cheyenne culture came from the article "Concerning Owls" by Jonathan Holmes at www . PowWows . com and from Craig Johnson's _A Cold Dish_, the first of his Walt Longmire Mysteries. General facts about owls came from the website for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and it's article "All About Birds".


	17. Chapter 17 - Option A

I watch Walt's face while I'm on the phone. He's staring at something behind me but when I turn around to see what has his attention there's nothing there. He'd been avoiding eye contact with me ever since I asked him where he was headed with the rifle but when I turn back to him he's looking directly at me. His eyes are so intense it takes my breath away. I try to listen to what Branch is saying but he's talking too quickly and the signal keeps breaking up. I can understand enough to know that I need to do whatever I can to keep Walt from going to find Nighthorse, at least not until we can get all of this straightened out. Branch finishes what he needs to say. "Okay, stay put, I'll be right there." I hang up the phone.

I take a breath before I say anything. I can tell by the deeply concerned look on Walt's face that I need to speak carefully. Think fast, Vic. I pull my eyes back down. I cannot look him in the eye and lie.

"That was Cady. Malachi and Darius are up at the Red Pony causing trouble at Henry's party. I'm going to head over there and take care of it."

It was a calculated risk. Would he take the bait?

"What kind of trouble."

"She didn't say and it was hard to hear her due to all the noise in the background. Don't worry about it, whatever it is I can handle it."

"No."

"No?"

"I'll go with you."

"Walt, I don't need you to go with me. I'll be fine."

He reaches out and takes my arm. "I'll go with you." Time stops for just a moment as our eyes lock. I can't do this right now. "Okay. If you're going then we had better get."

I let Walt take off first and I pull out after I hear him hit his siren. I stay about a half a mile behind him, hoping he won't notice when I turn off the road. If he does notice, I have to trust that he'll continue on to the Red Pony without me. I call Henry on the way and give him the abridged version of what's going on, "Do whatever you have to Henry, just keep him there with you and let me know when he gets there." After I hit the left towards town it took all of 5 seconds before the radio crackled to life. Static "Vic, where are you going? The Red Pony's this direction." I don't respond thinking maybe I can ignore him. Static "Vic?" I reluctantly pick up the radio, "I, uh, need to get gas. Didn't realize I was almost out. I'll meet you there." Okay, I had lied to him once and didn't want to again especially so quickly. I had every intention of going to the Red Pony and could even buy fuel on the way. But first I need to get to Branch. He must have accepted my excuse because I didn't hear from him again on my way into town.

I slide into a parking spot at Durant Memorial and force myself to walk calmly inside. No point in drawing any more attention to myself than I already have. The text alert on my phone sounds. It's Henry, short and to the point. "He is here." The clock is ticking now. I'm not sure how long Henry will be able to keep Walt from taking off once he realizes that I lied to him. I've got to find Branch. I bypass the waiting room and had straight to the nurses station at the ER. "Connally?" Luckily I'm still wearing my uniform so I don't have to answer any questions about my relationship to the patient. I am quickly ushered back to an exam room at the back.

Branch is standing right outside the door. "Vic, thanks so much for coming. I didn't know who else to call. It's not like I'm in the position to be arresting anybody right now and I didn't think Walt should find out what he did like this."

"Where is he?"

Branch gestures toward the room, "They're stitching him up in there. He's got a nasty gash and a mild concussion from where he hit his head on a rock but it doesn't look like they're going to admit him."

"Are you okay?" She gestures to the bandage on his arm.

"I'm fine. He grazed my arm when he got his shot off. I'm lucky I was able to knock him off balance or it could have been a lot worse. I'm not sure I could have survived another abdominal wound so soon after my last one." He glances down at the bandage, "Seems Nighthorse was right, I guess maybe I am a lot more like Walt that I realized."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing Branch."

He looks toward the room where they are treating his father, "It sure as hell is to him."

I try to comfort Branch by patting him on his uninjured arm but it feels pretty awkward. We obviously still have a long way to go but I can see a clarity in his eyes that has been missing for a long time. "You want to wait here while I go arrest the bastard or are you coming with me?"


	18. Chapter 18 - Option B

It was almost dark by the time Jacob Nighthorse pulled into his drive. To say he was displeased to see the Sheriff's trucking sitting there was an understatement. He was even more vexed to find the sheriff himself sitting on his porch. Walt stood as Jacob got out of his car.

"It is not enough to continually disrupt me at work with your ridiculous accusations? You are now going to start harassing me at my home as well? You realize you are trespassing on native land. Do I need to call Mathias and have you arrested?"

"I don't think you want to do that." Walt props his rifle up on his right shoulder.

"Threatening me in my own home. You are stooping to new lows Sheriff."

"I'm not threatening you, simply making a strong suggestion. We need to talk." He steps down off the porch.

"I have talked and talked and talked to you until I am blue in the face and you never seem to listen."

"Get in the truck Nighthorse."

Jacob reaches toward his pocket but is stopped by the Sheriff's hand on his arm.

"I don't think so. You're not going to need that where we're going." He takes the cell phone from Jacob, tosses onto the ground and smashes it with the heel of his boot. "If you want me off your land then your coming with me.

"Unbelievable! I know historically white people have had no conscience when it comes to taking things from Native Americans: land, possessions and even their women and children but it is 2014. Don't you think it is time to stop your imperial actions against the 'savages'? In case you haven't noticed, we are quite civilized now, quite contained, just like your people wanted."

Walt maintains a firm grip on Jacob's arm and starts to walk him to his truck. He opens the passenger door, "Get in."

"Kidnapping is a federal offense Sheriff. I'm not sure you'll survive prison."

"Probably not, but I have no intention of finding out."

He pushes Jacob onto the seat and breaks the inside handle of the door off with the butt of his rifle, "in case you get the idea to try to take off." After slamming the door shut he walks over to the driver's side and gets in. He picks a thick manila envelope up off the front seat and tosses it to Jacob, "Here."

"What's this?"

"The file on my wife's murder. There's some things in there you need to see."

* * *

Vic walks into the Red Pony and eagerly looks around for Walt. He is usually pretty easy to spot in a crowd but there are a lot of people here tonight. She catches a glimpse of Henry behind the bar and makes her way over.

"What are doing working? You're supposed to be celebrating."

Henry's smile fills his face, "Believe me, this is celebrating! Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, the doc said no alcohol until my brain's had time to heal."

"You mean you are actually doing what you have been told?"

She makes a face at him, "Ha Ha funny guy."

"What about the other day? You were drinking shots, were you not?"

"That was a special occasion. It's not everyday you get punched in the nose by your boss. Besides, I want to stay sober so I can help give rides home for you, Cady, and the rest of you lushes getting wasted celebrating the fact that we all get to keep getting wasted at a bar owned by you and not someone else. Speaking of Walt, I've been looking for him but I can't seem to find him. Do you know where he is? He hiding out in your office to get away from all these people?"

"I have not seen Walt since he left here earlier today. He said he had some business to tend to and that he would see me later."

"What was it?"

"What was what?"

"The business he needed to tend to?"

"He did not tell me and I did not ask. I stopped keeping tabs on the Sheriff a number of years ago, though I am sure if he needs someone to take care of that for him you would be perfect for the job."

"There you go trying to be funny again."

Henry flashes another big smile, "No reason not to be."

"Fine, I'll go see if Cady's heard from him."

Vic spots Cady on the other side of the room and she sighs at the prospect of wading back through the sea of people. By the time she makes it over to the jukebox where Cady is dancing, Vic's head has started to hurt. Too much noise in the room she guessed.

"Cady, have you heard from your dad?"

"No, isn't he here? I assumed he was here."

Cady isn't completely drunk but she has had a few and her thoughts are a little scattered as a result. Vic couldn't blame her for cutting loose a little bit. She has been under extreme amounts of pressure and deserves to relax and have some fun. Vic squeezes her eyes shut and winces at the pain in her head. Damn Chance and damn his baseball bat. She was having a hard enough time concentrating without having to deal with the aftermath of that nonsense.

Cady notices something isn't right, "Vic, are you okay?" She reaches out to touch her arm and Vic crumples to the ground.


	19. Chapter 19 - Option A

I let Vic cuff Barlow without me but I'm not comfortable leaving her to transport him herself. I don't trust him to not continue his downward spiral into stupid decisions and I'm certain after what he's already done that he would not bat an eye at taking Vic out in an effort to escape. Desperate men take desperate measures. I know that better than anyone else right now. Not that long ago I would have been willing to take Vic out myself if she had been standing in my way. Hell, I already tried once and probably would have been successful if Walt hadn't pulled me off of her. If Barlow were to hurt Vic and Walt found out I could have prevented it I can forget having any chance of getting my job back. He's made it perfectly clear how he feels about her even if he isn't admitting it to himself.

A short time ago all that had mattered was finding David Ridges, everyone else be damned. It's strange how much a week and a death can change a man's perspective. I hadn't realized how deeply I had spun out of control after being shot until it was suddenly over. When I saw Ridges' body in the back of Walt's truck the crazy started to drain away. He had consumed me entirely and he was finally no longer a threat. Even so, I couldn't stop myself from breaking into the morgue and really studying his body. I wanted to know what drove him, what made him do the things he did. Because he had been in my head, I wanted to be in his. I'm not sure if I found any answers but it helped me to come back into myself. I was really thinking clearly for the first time since Cady had broken up with me. I knew she had ended our relationship because of her dad and that made me want to win that election more than ever. I had even been willing to compromise and partner with Jacob Nighthorse to do it. But in the end it didn't really matter.

Once I realized Cady had been hurt I didn't give a damn about being sheriff. All I wanted to do was find the man who hurt her and when the evidence pointed to Nighthorse I couldn't forgive myself. Ridges had been the key to nailing him. When the tables turned and Ridges came after me, it only fed my insatiable need to find the truth. Realizing that Barlow and Nighthorse had been working together? That was a kick in the gut. He had always said he hated Nighthorse. He probably does, but as he said, Nighthorse served a purpose and Barlow was more than willing to use him to his advantage as well as I had. My father also seemed to have no regret about the fact that the man he had hired to make sure Walt's wife was killed had tried to kill me as well. But of course, my old man had never really seemed to like me much and he was certainly never satisfied with my decision to go into law enforcement. To him being a deputy to Walter Longmire was just about the most menial position I could take.

I never understood why Barlow hated Walt so much, but to have his wife killed was beyond anything I could have imagined. I may not always see eye to eye with Walt, but deep down I know he's a good man and a good sheriff. I'm not giving up on my plans to be sheriff myself one day, but I can see where I still can learn some things from him until that time comes. I only hope that he's willing to let me continue to learn. I know that any problems between Walt and I are of my own making. He took me back into the fold after I lost the election. He didn't hesitate to come look for me on the reservation when I had called him after I was shot. I can't blame him for not believing me about the shooter. I probably wouldn't have believed him if he had been high on peyote and said a dead man had shot him either, especially after getting the DNA evidence back on those ashes. But even with that he was willing to re-open the Ridges case. He and Vic both went with me to look for Ridges in the caves. He trusted that it was okay that I had gone to Colorado with Cady, when in actuality he probably shouldn't have. Perhaps what meant the most was he understood what I needed after Ridges was dead. He could have blown right past me on the road because he really had no reason to stop. He could have given me a lecture about my behavior. He didn't do either of those things. In fact, he hadn't said a word until we got back to the station. He didn't say I could never come back, only that he didn't know how or when. Walt has shown me more grace than I deserve and I plan to do whatever I can to earn his trust back starting with Barlow and Nighthorse.

As for Vic, I'm glad she didn't hang up on me when I called. She had every right to. I knew calling Walt was not the best idea. After Barlow's confrontation with Ferg when he came to pick me up that day at the station, I wasn't sure he was a good option either. That left Vic. She has never really liked me. I imagine my cocky ass attitude didn't help with that. Still, she's a good cop and she's fair. When I pushed, she pushed back. That's what she should do. God knows she had enough on me to go to Walt earlier than she did. She tried to give me a chance to straighten up but like Walt, she's driven by a strong sense of right and wrong. I wonder what I would have done if I had been in her position back in Philadelphia. I've never worked with a dirty cop so it's easy to be mad at her for blowing the whistle on that guy when I've never been in that position. I can relate to the other guy much better. Most of my life I have used my social and financial power to my advantage. That's all that guy was doing but it doesn't make it right. I simply didn't like being on the receiving end of Vic's ethical code. I've always been able to do what I want because I'm a Connally and she didn't give a shit about my last name. I should probably tell her thank you for stopping me before I turned into my father, willing to to whatever it takes to get what I want. While I know if push came to shove she would choose Walt over me in a heartbeat, I can't say that I blame her after the way I have acted the last 12 months. I know she's not really here for me but for him. He's going to need some support to get through this latest development in Martha's case. I'm a little jealous to be honest. Doesn't seem like I have anyone. That's my fault too. I've got some work do once the dust settles.

Vic comes out of the room with a satisfied look on her face, "They aren't done with him yet but I convinced them he was a flight risk so they let me handcuff him to the table."


	20. Chapter 20 - Option B

"Somebody get me Henry!"

Cady kneels down next to Vic. She is still sober enough to check her breathing and make sure she has a pulse but she knows she shouldn't make too many more decisions than that on her own right now. She looks up and sees Henry quickly approaching. He also kneels down to Vic's side.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. She'd just asked me if I knew where dad was when I noticed her wince like she was in pain. I asked her if she was alright and then she just collapsed and fell to the floor. Henry stands up holding Vic in his arms.

"Come, get the door for me."

The crowd parts as Henry carries Vic toward his office. Cady opens the door and he turns sideways to ease her through without hitting her head on the way in. It's much quieter as she shuts the door. He gently lays her on the couch and starts his own assessment. "Go get a damp towel." Cady heads out to the bar and returns with a clean, damp bar towel. Henry places it across Vic's forehead. Vic is breathing, but it is more swallow than it should be.

"How long should we wait before we do something Henry?"

There's a knock at the door. Henry looks at Cady as a voice sounds through the door. "It's Ferg, I saw Henry carrying Vic through the bar, is everything okay?" Henry nods at Cady and she opens the door to let him in. He rushes over to the couch, "What happened?"

"We do not know."

"How long has it been?"

Henry looks at his watch, "About five minutes."

"Don't people who just pass out usually wake back up pretty quickly. If she's still out there may be something more serious going on."

"Cady, check Vic's pocket for her keys and cell phone. We will be able to get her to the hospital faster if we go in her truck and run the lights and siren."

Ferg takes the keys from Cady and goes to pull Vic's truck around to the back door while Henry once again gathers Vic in his arms. He and Cady navigate back through the crowd and are out the door just as Ferg hops out and runs around to the rear passenger side. Cady climbs in first and together she and Ferg help Henry slide Vic into the backseat with her head on Cady's lap.

"You two go on ahead, I will follow in a few minutes. I need to make sure someone can stay and lock up in case I am not back in time for closing. I will call Vic's husband to let him know what has happened."

Ferg speaks up, ""He's out of town and I don't think Vic would want you to call him."

Henry thinks about the information he provided to Vic a short time ago, "You are right, she would not, but we must do it anyway. It is our responsibility to contact him about his wife. It becomes his responsibility to do the right thing from there." Henry pauses for a moment remembering the conversation he recently had in which Walt admitted to caring for Vic as a woman and not just as his deputy. For the first time his wishes his friend owned a cell phone. "Ferg, try to get Walt on the radio. I do not know about Shaun, but I do know Walt will want to know about Vic."

He closes the door as Ferg runs back around to the driver's side. He watches Ferg drive off, hitting the lights and sirens and walks into the bar and his office. He sits at his desk and stares at Vic's phone in his hands. He knows that Vic no longer wishes to be married to Shaun. He is not sure how Shaun feels about Vic but there are indications that he feels the same way she does. Regardless, he is still her husband and has a right to know. If he is any kind of man at all, he will want to know and be willing to cut his trip short to come be with her. He almost feels as though he is betraying his friend as he looks up the number and hits the call button but he knows that in spite of Walt's feelings, he would agree that calling Shaun is the right thing to do.

* * *

Walt's driving steadily, but not so fast as to draw unnecessary attention to himself. He has just left reservation land when he hears the radio come to life. Static "Walt, It's Ferg, Come in Walt." He glances at the radio and then back to the road ahead of him. He decides to ignore the call. After a minute it comes again. Static "Walt, It's important."

"Maybe you should answer him Sheriff, he says it's important."

Walt glares at Jacob, reaches over and switches off the radio. "Whatever it is, Deputies Moretti and Ferguson are more than capable of handling it without me."

"What about Deputy Connally?"

"He's on administrative leave, thanks to you and your sidekick David Ridges."

"I've told you that I barely know the man."

"Right."

"Where are you taking me?"

"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you."

"What should I be worried about then?"

"For starters how much patience I will have before I decide I'm done with you."


	21. Chapter 21 - Option A

Vic gets her phone out of her pocket.

"Who are you calling?"

"Wilkins, I don't think Walt needs ready access to our prisoner just yet. I'm concerned what he might do when he hears about all this for the first time. Wilkins owes me a favor and I think housing Barlow over in Cumberland County might be just the thing to prevent a firestorm from erupting."

Before she can look up the number and make the call her phone buzzes.

"Oh shit, here we go."

She takes a deep breath and pushed the button to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Vic, what the hell's going on?" The deep timbre and tension in Walt's voice reaches through the phone and causes her stomach to twist.

"Oh hi, I thought it was Henry calling."

She walks down the hall to put some distance between her and Branch and to make sure she is out of earshot of both he and Barlow.

"Walt, give me a chance to explain."

"I'm listening."

"Not now, not over the phone."

"Vic, you lied to me. You sent me out to the Red Pony to my daughter and Henry who were supposedly in trouble. When I arrived Henry ushered me into his office while Cady went out to my truck and took my keys. I am a patient man Vic, but I'm not that patient. Tell me what's going on."

"Do you trust me Walt?"

"This has nothing to do with trust."

"Bullshit, it has everything to do with trust and I need to know, do you trust me or not?"

There is a long pause and she can hear him trying to steady his breathing. Vic softens her tone, "Walt, please. Know that I would never do anything to you that was not in your best interest. You are the only real friend that I have in this God forsaken wasteland and I do not intend to screw that up. I promise I will explain everything to you when I see you. I had to make sure that you wouldn't fly off cold cocked and do something stupid that would cause all of us to lose you forever...Is Henry there with you?"

"Yes."

"Look at him. If you don't trust me right now do you at least trust him?"

He sighs, "Yes I do."

"Then please, stay put. I will be there as soon as I can and I will explain everything to you. Then you can decide whether you trust me or not."

"Vic, you're not in any danger are you?"

"No Walt, I'm safe and I plan on staying that way until I can get to you. I just needed to make sure you were safe too. I know that feels backwards to you. You're usually the one doing the protecting but this time it was my turn. I will see you soon."

She hangs up the call and dials Sheriff Wilkins as she walks back toward Branch, "Hey, it's Victoria Moretti. I need a favor."

* * *

Walt hangs up the phone and regards Henry.

"Are you sure you don't think I need to know what this is all about Henry?"

"Actually I do think you need to know but it is not my place to tell you. I do not have all the information that Vic does. What did she say to you?"

"That she'll explain everything to me when she gets here...and to trust her."

"Do you?"

"You're the only person I trust more."

"Good, then trust us both and wait until she arrives."

"I'm just worried that whatever it is she's in over her head."

"Vic can take care of herself Walt. She appears to be thinking more clearly about things than I have ever known her to. She will be fine."

"Okay then."


	22. Chapter 22 - Option B

Henry arrives at the hospital to find Cady and Ferg in the waiting area.

"Any change?"

Ferg shakes his head and stands up, "No, they called in Dr. Weston and took her back for a CT scan. Did you talk to Shaun?

"He did not answer his telephone so I contacted his office and told them there was a family emergency. I requested they have him contact me as soon as possible. What about Walt?

"He didn't respond when I called him on the radio and he still isn't answering his home phone either."

"I think perhaps someone should go check on him. Ferg, you will call me as soon as you hear anything about Vic."

"Sure."

Henry walks back to the parking lot. His concern for Vic is overshadowed only by his worry for Walt and how he will react to her current condition. Walt's admission at the Red Pony replays in his mind. He is not the type to give his heart easily. He barely survived losing Martha. Henry is not sure how he would make it through losing Vic now, just as he is starting to let his guard down and allow himself to feel again. Henry drives out to Walt's cabin and lets himself in. He is looking for clues as to where Walt might have gone. He notices that the tea box that had held Martha's ashes has been moved from it's usual spot in the kitchen. He opens the lid to find an empty plastic bag inside with a few remnants of ash still clinging to it. As he closes the box his eyes drift toward Walt's bedroom. He enters and goes straight to the bedside cabinet where Walt stores the extra clips for his Colt. He pulls open the bottom drawer to find it empty. This is worse than he thought.

Dr. Weston has finally made his way out to the waiting area. Ferg and Cady quickly stand up and walk over to him.

"Is Deputy Moretti's husband here?"

"No, he's out of town for work. How is she?"

"She has new bruising on her face since I saw her last. It isn't from her original injury. Do you know what happened?"

Cady looks at Ferg and then back to the doctor. "She was punched in the face."

"By a suspect?"

"No, by my dad. It was an accident. She got between him and a suspect and got nailed in the nose."

"This is the reason I didn't want her to go back to work so quickly. Concussions can have multiple long term consequences and re-injury is a serious concern, especially if it occurs before the previous one has had time to heal properly."

"You think getting punched may have aggravated her brain injury?"

"It's definitely possible especially if she was hit with a bit of force which based on the bruising pattern it appears she was. Is her husband on his way?"

"We haven't been able to reach him yet but we have left a message with his work to call us right away."

"Since this is not a criminal case I really shouldn't tell you any more about her condition. It's a violation of our HIPPA policy."

"Come on Doc, we're the ones who brought her in and Vic isn't going to complain about her privacy being violated. Besides, except for her husband, we're all she's got in Wyoming. I guarantee if you check her previous records she has the Sheriff's Department listed as her emergency contact."

"Alright, since you are here in lieu of family and considering the nature of your association I will provide updates to you on her condition. The scan revealed that her brain is swelling. The pressure is what likely caused her to lose consciousness. The swelling isn't too severe at this time, but could become so. I want to monitor her overnight and see how she's doing in the morning. She started to wake up during the scan which is a good sign, however, I gave her a sedative to keep her still. I've treated her enough to know that if she fully wakes up she'll check herself out AMA. She's shown that she didn't take the first concussion seriously when she went back on full duty before she was medically ready. She's going to have to rest to avoid hurting herself worse than she already has.

"Can I stay with her? Dad wouldn't want her to be left alone."

"That would be fine."

"Cady, you're exhausted from all the work you've put in working on Henry's case. Why don't you go home to sleep and I will stay with her."

"No Ferg, I can sleep in a chair pretty well and you need to go help Henry find my dad, please."

Ferg slowly nods, "Okay, but promise you'll call me if anything changes."

"I will."

Ferg heads out to Vic's truck. He's so focused on the task at hand that he runs right into someone coming in the front door. He looks up to apologize and is surprised to come face to face with Branch.

"Branch, what are you doing here?"

"It's kind of a long story, but one you probably need to hear. Why are you here?"

"Vic passed out during Henry's celebration party at the Red Pony."

"Why didn't you just take her home and let her sleep it off."

"No, it's not like that. She hadn't had anything to drink, she was just talking to Cady and then collapsed onto the floor."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"It's looking like she is but they're keeping her sedated for now."

"That's probably smart."

Ferg's not in the mood for jokes, "So what's going on Branch?"

"Let's go find some coffee and a private place to talk and I'll fill you in."

"I'm kind of on my way somewhere."

"Can it wait? This is pretty important. It's about Walt's wife's murder."

Ferg looks at his watch and then down the hall toward Vic's room. He's torn about whether to take the time to hear what Branch has to say. Henry's already out looking for Walt and there are still some unanswered questions about why Martha was targeted in the first place. He goes with his gut, "Yeah, it can wait."


	23. Chapter 23 - Option A

**Thank you so much for your feedback on this split approach to the story! I love that both story lines have fans. Work is caught up and I am glad to get back to reading and writing more this week.**

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Barlow is unusually quiet in the back seat of Vic's truck as they drive to Cumberland County. The tension between he and Branch is so thick in the air it's almost too difficult to breathe. She can't resist the urge to speak any longer and though it may not be appropriate for this situation, she always defaults to smart-ass, especially when she is uncomfortable.

"So, you tried to shoot your son, huh?" Branch looks at her from the corner of his eye. Barlow continues to say nothing.

"You know you probably aren't going to win the nomination for father of the year now."

Silence. "Okay, why don't you give us the number for that attorney of yours and we can go ahead and give him a call so he can get a head start on his drive to come see you."

Barlow finally speaks. "I don't see why I can't be held in Durant."

"Let's just call it a conflict of interest."

"Probably for the best anyway so I don't have to see that asshole's smug expression."

"Who? Deputy Ferguson?"

"You know who I'm talking about."

"I've never seen Ruby look smug. Do you think he's talking about the Sheriff Branch?"

Neither man says anything in response.

"Must be the Sheriff. Well, you don't have to worry about seeing the Sheriff right now but you do have bigger things to think about like the murder charge that's going to be filed on you first thing in the morning, along with whatever else we think we can make stick."

"I'll be out of jail by this time tomorrow."

"Well, your lawyer might be able to get a bail hearing scheduled that quickly but I wouldn't be so sure bail will be granted. A man with your resources, well, let's just say you could disappear pretty easily and the judge might want to make sure you stay put until your trial. It's not like you have any strong family ties that might keep you here."

"We'll see about that. I was Judge Ellis' number one campaign contributor the last time he was elected."

Branch breaks out of his self-imposed cone of silence, "All your money isn't going to get you out of this one Dad. Contrary to the way you live your life, there are more important things than money like honesty, loyalty and love, not that you know anything about any of those."

Barlow has nothing to say at his son's words. Vic decides she should allow Branch's words to stand and keeps any other thoughts she has to herself for the rest of the drive.

Sheriff Wilkins meets them at the door of his station with a clipboard. He had heard enough from Vic when she called to decide they didn't need to drag anything out tonight, just sign the prisoner over and let them get on their way. He and Vic had made arrangements for her to fax the rest of the required paperwork over in the morning. Back in the truck Vic quickly gets down to business, "Branch, I want you to go over everything again on our way back to Absaroka. I want to make sure I understand exactly what happened before I go talk to Walt."

"Can I come with you and tell him myself? After the way I've acted and everything I've put him through I think I owe him that at least. Especially since it was my father who is responsible for his wife's death."

Vic glances over at him and sees the strong resolve on his face, "Okay, but I'm going to be there when you tell him."

Vic and Branch walk into the Red Pony where Henry's party is still in full swing. The see Cady over by the bar and make their way to her through the crowd, "Where's Walt?"

"He's with Henry in the office. He's pretty mad. What's going on anyway? Henry wouldn't tell me anything, just that we had to keep Dad here until you got a chance to talk to him. Is everything okay?"

"It will be. We'll fill you when we can, I promise." She picks up two bottles of Ranier from the bar, reinforcements she calls them, and moves to the office door. She and Branch look at each other and Vic turns the door knob.

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Vic looks uncomfortable as she enters Henry's office. She holds the door open and I see Branch slip in behind her and quickly move to stand over by the wall as she closes the door. I'm curious why he is here with her but that will have to wait. In spite of my anger with Vic over her recent actions I am comforted that she is here. Ever since the incident at Chances' I feel relief every time I see her. It can be distracting. Sometimes too distracting. I try to ignore the immediate effect being in the same room with her has on me and stand up from the couch. She hands me an opened beer which I take on reflex and sets a second on Henry's desk. She holds her hand up, "Walt, I think you should sit down."

I ignore her request and step toward her, "Oh, you do?" I set the beer in my hand next to the other one, "Well you also thought it would be a good idea to lie to me so I'm not sure how clear your thinking is right now. I'm done sitting doing nothing, I'm ready to get moving. So, you need to tell me why you did what you did so I can get out of this office." I have my hands in their usual resting spots on my belt. It's comfortable. A stance I use when I'm focused on the task at hand and I am trying really hard to be focused right now. Vic glances toward my right hand and moves in close enough to touch me. She gently places her hand on mine and it feels like it's supposed to be there. She needs to move away soon, "Walt, please. This is not as simple or easy as you may think." She reaches under my hand and places it on my Colt as she is speaking to me. I grasp her hand to stop her, "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

Vic remains steadfast, keeping a firm hold on the gun, "Trying to make sure no one gets hurt."

I stare into her eyes trying to read her. We stand there a moment regarding one another. "Henry?"

"Yes?" Henry stands up from behind his desk. Never looking away from Vic I take the Colt from it's holster, "Keep this until you think it's time for me to have it again." Henry comes around the desk and takes the Colt from my hand. A brief flash of pain crosses Vic's face and she backs away.

"Now someone needs to tell me what's going on."

Vic looks at Branch and nods. She retreats behind Henry's desk and stands looking at the floor. The physical distance she has put between us mirrors the emotional distance I have just imposed. I don't like that I've hurt her but I can't think about that. Right now I welcome the space she has put between us. I sit back down on the leather couch.

Branch pulls a chair adjacent to where I'm sitting. He glances at Henry who also nods at him as Vic has done. He looks back at me and sits. Branch speaks without interruption for a long time. The longer he speaks, the more I feel my muscles tense and my jaw clench. My heart starts to race as adrenaline floods my system. When Branch has finished the room is silent. Vic is still not looking at me, but Henry's gaze is steady. I know he is awaiting my reaction to the news I've just heard.

"Where is he?"

No one answers me.

I look around the room from face to face. No one is talking. I stand and hold my hand out, "I need my gun back."

Henry rises to move in front of me, "Walt, you cannot do this."

"I don't see how you're going to stop me."

"Walt, I will do everything in my power to stop you. I would not let you kill the man who killed your wife and I will not let you kill the man behind it."

"Vic, where's Barlow?"

"He's locked up."

'I need to to know where Vic."

"Not in Durant."

"Henry, you need to move or I'm going to move you.

Henry isn't ready to give up, "Walt, I need you to think. Think about Denver. Think about the consequences that were suffered as a result of our actions there, the people who paid the price. You said it yourself, you cannot do what we did in Denver without there being consequences. The consequences from this thing you want to do now will be more widespread and far worse. It is time for all of this to be over. That is what Martha would want."

"I don't care."

"Yes you do Walt, you care very deeply."

Henry had drawn my attention so well that I hadn't noticed Vic making her way over to me. I'm standing toe to toe with Henry, neither of us being willing to back down when I feel her hands on my shoulders. It disarms me.

"Henry, Branch, could Walt and I have a minute?"


	24. Chapter 24 - Option B

**Thank you so much for your feedback on this split approach to the story! I love that both story lines have fans. Work is caught up and I am glad to get back to reading and writing more this week.**

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Barlow Connally paid to have David Ridges murder Martha Longmire. He couldn't believe it. Branch had been eerily calm as he recounted the story of his father's confession and subsequent attempt to kill him. Ferg had listened closely to everything Branch had told him but he was still having a hard time wrapping his brain around Branch's revelation that it was his father who was ultimately responsible for Martha's death. As if that wasn't shocker enough, Barlow had tried to kill his own son when he confronted him about it. Now Barlow is in the emergency room getting stitched up after Branch knocked him down to keep from getting shot. Ferg hoped Branch wouldn't go off the deep end again over this. Right now he seemed to be displaying a level of insight that quite frankly Ferg had never seen from him. Branch had been distracted by something the entire time Ferg had known him. Usually it was his own ambitions and desire for recognition. It has always been obvious that Branch didn't have the greatest relationship with his father but Ferg hadn't known it was as bad as it apparently was. Maybe Branch craved approval from everyone else because he never got any from his father. Whatever the case, Branch appeared as calm and focused as Ferg had ever seen him.

Branch goes back to the ER to stay with Barlow and Ferg walks back to check on the girls. He peeks in the door and sees Cady asleep in the chair. He quietly slips in. Finding a blanket on the shelf he gently places it over Cady and watches her sleep for a moment. He is in awe of how beautiful and selfless she is. She gave up her celebration with Henry to help him bring Vic to the hospital and then volunteered to stay with her. He's feeling guilty about not having headed right out to look for her father, but he thinks she will understand when she hears the latest development in her mother's murder. An important part of being in law enforcement is being able to quickly prioritize necessary tasks. Getting a murderer and potential flight risk behind bars trumps trying to find a sheriff from whom no one has heard anything for just a few hours. And he would look for Walt, he just needed to take care of some things first. He silently asks for her forgiveness before kissing her lightly on the head, something he wouldn't have the guts to do if she were awake.

Turning to Vic he looks at her lying in the bed and starts to feel very overwhelmed. This is all a bit much for him to handle on his own. Normally after hearing news like he just did he would check in with Walt, share the information and see what to do next or he would talk to Vic about it if Walt wasn't around. Now Walt is MIA and Vic is sedated in a hospital bed recovering from a brain injury. Pair that with Branch's suspension and he's left to run the entire Sheriff's Department of Absaroka County on his own. He isn't sure if he's up to the task but he knows he has no choice. This is make or break time for him. Now is when he will prove to everyone whether he is worthy to wear his badge. Most importantly, he will prove to himself if he deserves that privilege. He has to get somewhere quiet to think and plan. He takes Vic's hand and squeezes it before leaving the room.

As he walks down the hall he starts making a mental list of things he needs to take care of starting with finding a suitable cell for Barlow Connally. Barlow had suffered a laceration and mild concussion from hitting his head when Branch knocked him off balance but was not injured severely enough to be admitted. They don't have the staff to house a prisoner at the station right now. He needs another option. He decides to call the Tri-County Jail and see if they have space available. He steps outside the entrance doors to make the phone call. Once he secures a spot for Barlow he places a call to the Highway Patrol. He didn't trust Barlow before but now that he's tried to kill his own son, he really doesn't trust him. He decides the smart thing to do is to have backup just in case Barlow tries something desperate. He meets two patrolmen at the front doors of the hospital and they accompany him to Barlow's room where Ferg arrests and cuffs him. He reads him his rights and walks him to Vic's truck for the transport. After Barlow is securely in the hands of Tri-County, Ferg heads back to the station. There's paperwork that needs to be completed and filed. At least he knows he's good at that part of the job. He'll start on it tonight but he wants to be thorough and has asked Branch to come in first thing in the morning so he can make sure he gets his statement of what happened exact. Then he'll make a call to the DA's office so charges against Barlow can be filed right away.

Before that though he needs to see whether Henry's had any luck with locating the Sheriff. He calls Henry on the way up the stairs at the station. He knows if anyone can track down Walt, it's Henry.

"Hello."

"Henry, have you been able to find Walt yet?"

"I have not but I do have some ideas of where to look. I have decided to start eliminating those possibilities starting in the morning. With no moon out it will be much more difficult to track him tonight, but I am hoping he will show up before then." Henry does not share his concerns about where Walt may have gone or what he may be up to. He thought it best not to raise suspicions about something that may not be true.

"I'd like to help you look for him tomorrow but I have a few things I need to do first. Can you come by the station about 9? I'm not going home tonight so I should be able to have everything lined out by then."

Henry wanted to get an earlier start but he remembers how helpful Ferg was the last time they worked together. He also knew if his suspicions about Walt were correct, he would need Ferg's help, "I will see you at 9."

Ferg hangs up and walks over to the file cabinet to start pulling paperwork that needs to be completed. He wants to get as much filled out as possible before he hits the bunk and tries to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.


	25. Chapter 25 - Option A

**FYI, Vic's got her foul mouth going in this chapte**r

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I walk out of Vic's grasp and feel an intense cold where she's no longer touching me. How can I want to be close to her and far away at the same time? I don't need her as a distraction. I don't need Henry telling me what I should or shouldn't do. I'm going to answer to myself on this one, and myself only. I will decide what happens to Barlow Connally and Jacob Nighthorse too for that matter. I'm going to be the judge and the jury and I'll take down whoever else I find out was involved in my wife's murder. I am tired of waiting. I am tired of being patient. Letting Martha go has created a freedom to stop hesitating to do what I need to do.

"Walt."

I ignore the intensity of that one word and continue planning. It's okay that Henry has my gun. I've got plenty of weapons I can use. Hell, I've got my bare hands. I can take Barlow man to man. I've beaten him before. Sure that was decades ago but he's only gotten softer since he's been riding a desk all these years playing businessman.

"Walt."

The sound of her voice speaking my name a second time stops my thoughts. I just cannot think straight about this with her here. I have to get away on my own.

"Leave me alone Vic."

"No!"

"This isn't your battle to fight."

"How dare you say that to me! Gorski was my problem from long before I ever met you and you made him your battle to fight. Chance Gilbert was my problem but you jumped into the middle and put yourself in danger in that situation too. I could have handled Branch without your help but you had to step in again in my defense when I could have put him in his place all on my own too."

"Those things are different."

"Bullshit!"

"I'm not going to take you down with me Vic. I came close to doing that with Henry. From here on out, it's my choice to make, my action to take and I will accept whatever consequences that come myself. No one else gets hurt this time, except those who are guilty. The guilty will feel plenty of hurt."

"You're talking crazy again. How can you say only the guilty will be hurt? What about those people who love you, the people who need you?"

"Cady will understand. She has Henry to help her through."

"You're wrong. Cady won't understand. She's out there right now scared out of her mind about what is going on with you right now. Like I told you at your cabin she doesn't deserve to lose her father after all she has gone through, after all she's given up for you. I know you Walt, you are not the kind of father who walks away from his daughter, to leave her all alone in the name of revenge."

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."

Vic takes a steady step towards me, "You can keep trying to hurt me on purpose to make yourself feel better about what you're doing all you want, but no matter what you say to me, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be here with you to help you through this. I'm going to help you gather all the evidence you need to nail Barlow and Nighthorse to the wall, and I'm going to be here to help you celebrate when both those bastards are locked up and unable to hurt anyone anymore."

"No you're not Vic." I don't want to go on but I cannot seem to stop myself, "You're only able to be here now because your husband is out of town and doesn't know where you are. Once he's back there will be no more working after hours. He'll want you home with him and that's where you should be."

"Are you fucking kidding me? He doesn't tell me what to do."

"He wants you to quit your job, remember? He's not going to wait around forever for you to make a decision." I'm finally able to verbalize something I've been holding back from her. Even though she hasn't resigned, I've just been waiting for it to happen. Everyday she doesn't is one more day of reprieve that I've been given on my execution.

Vic presses her lips together and looks at the ceiling.

"I'm right and you know it."

Her voice is just a whisper, "Yeah Walt, you're right, he wasn't willing to wait forever."

"What?"

She shoots me a drop dead look and shakes her head, "No, not relevant to the conversation at hand. You're trying to distract from the real issue so you can take off and go after Barlow."

I watch her face closely. Something is suddenly different in her. My care and concern for her begins to war with my need for revenge.

"Vic, is everything okay? Did something happen with Shaun?"

"I'm not discussing it with you Walt."

I move closer, no longer feeling the need for the physical distance I was so eager for a moment ago. I try to stop myself, but as has happened several times recently, I cannot keep myself from reaching out for her. She closes her eyes when I take her hands.

"Walt, don't."

"Vic, look at me."

She shakes her head and keeps her face to the floor, "No Walt, none of this is your concern."

"Don't you think that should be my choice?"

"No, I don't. You're not giving me a choice to be there for you, so you don't get a choice either." She looks up at me defiantly but there's still something else lurking on her face just beneath the surface.

The longer she holds my eyes, the more the defiance is replaced with vulnerability.

She looks away and sighs. "Damn it Walt! How do you do that to me?"

"Do what?"

"Weaken my resolve, disable my defenses... How pathetic am I?"

I don't speak, allowing her time to continue. She doesn't make me wait long before looking back at me, "It's over Walt, I had already made my choice. I wasn't going to quit my job. Then when I couldn't seem to pull the trigger on our relationship, when I thought maybe we could work things out he beat me to it."

"I don't understand."

"Shaun filed for divorce. I had met with an attorney to discuss my options but as I was considering it all, I found out Shaun already had papers drawn up. They were filed the day after you found Ridges."

A divorce. I try hard to control my breathing. Vic's getting a divorce from her husband. She's staying in Durant. There are too many things running through my head right now, few of them appropriate. I settle for running my hands gently up and down her arms, "I'm sorry Vic."

"Don't be. I'll be fine."

She pulls back from me and turns away, "Can we get back to talking about you now?"

I stand frozen. Ten minutes ago my decision was made, the plan was set. Now everything has changed, my world has shifted. All of a sudden I have hope for a future. A future that once looked bare and lonely is now full of light and possibilities. The affection and longing that I have kept under lock and key inside my heart is pushing to break free. I know how it feels to hold Vic in my arms and at one time it was all I could hope for. But now, the idea of wrapping my arms around her, stroking her hair and simply comforting her isn't enough any more. I guess it never really was. I fight to keep from spinning Vic around, pulling her to me and kissing her until we both can't breathe. I want to show her fully and completely what she means to me. I want to know her and let her know me, without any walls or limitations, without any rules or restrictions.

I ease up behind her and slide my hands onto her hips. I can feel her tense at my touch but I keep going. I lean down and nuzzle her ear with my nose and speak softly, only for her, my voice deeper than usual, "Vic." She reacts with a sudden intake of air and responds with a sharp, "What". I slip my arms the rest of the way around her waist and hug her close, "I'm glad you decided to stay." I start to place small wet kisses along the edge of her ear and down her neck. She exhales and I feel her body relax into mine. She puts her hand on mine, "Walt?"

"Hmm?" I'm making my way around the back of her neck to the other side.

"Oh...as much as I like this, and I believe me, I LIKE this, I'm not sure now's the best time."

As if on cue there's a knock at the door. It's Henry, "Is everything okay in there?"

Vic pulls out of my embrace and turns to face me with a questioning look.

I give her a small sheepish grin and nod.

"We're fine Henry, you can come back in. I think we've got his thinking straightened out." She looks up at me with a smile on her face, "for now anyway."


	26. Chapter 26 - Option B

**Okay, for some reason I feel nervous about people reading this chapter but I think it is necessary to the story. We can't just keep wondering why Barlow hates Walt so much. So, here goes...**

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Barlow couldn't believe his attorney had the nerve to be out of town on a family vacation. The only thing that kept him from firing him outright over the phone tonight was that he pulled some legal magic and got Barlow into his own cell. He wouldn't have tolerated being locked up with the riff raff. It will be hard enough to be locked up with himself. One of the benefits of working 70 plus hours a week is having little time to think. When he isn't working he finds other distractions. Unfortunately thinking is all he can do in here. He'd prefer his mind be filled with thoughts of that pretty young thing he was with in his office two days ago, but no, all he can think about is Sheriff Walter Longmire.

Barlow's family accumulated significant wealth and influence settling and working the land that became Absaroka County. They liked the authority it afforded them and demanded respect. This was a trait that was passed down all the way to Branch. Walt's father was a farrier. It provided steady work and a solid living for the family, but left little room for extras and it certainly held no prestige like the Connally family had. Farriers were a necessity but not highly valued. He knew it was a contradiction, but that was how it was. Barlow remembers Walt coming to the Connally Ranch when they were children to help his father shoe the horses. Mr. Connally's horses were part of his livelihood and he took excellent care of them so Walt and his father were there every four weeks like clockwork. Walt was younger than Barlow: a quiet, diligent, hard working boy. At least that's what Barlow's father always told him, followed soon thereafter with, "Why can't you be more like Walter Longmire you spoiled piece of shit?"

Those words or something similar usually came right before Mr Connally let his right hand fly across whatever part of Barlow's body he could reach. Oh, it only happened when he was drinking but as Barlow got older the drinking became more frequent until eventually it was whenever he wasn't working. His father was what you would call a functional alcoholic. The booze never interfered with his business responsibilities, his civic duties or his income. His family responsibilities were another story altogether. The drinking interfered plenty with those, but his work contacts didn't have a clue how he was after hours. Barlow's mother had overdosed on sleeping pills when he was 5 years old. Lucian was 16 at the time. They said it was an accident. He was too young to really remember it, but his father never let him forget it. It was heavy in the rotation when he was drinking, second only to the comparisons to Walt. Barlow thinks his mother must have gotten tired of being knocked around and decided to take the easy way out. The harder thing for him to admit was that he and his brother apparently weren't important enough for her to stick around for. It was after she was gone that his father turned his anger on the boys. Lucian wouldn't have it so he took off on his own. That left Barlow to bear the brunt of it and Mr. Connally regularly blamed Barlow for his mother's death as well as his brother's departure. Many years later Lucian had reached out and tried to apologize for leaving Barlow behind but by then it was too late. The damage to their relationship had already been done and nowadays, neither had a kind word to say about the other.

Walt had always acted like he didn't know what was going on with Barlow and his father, like he didn't notice the extra attention he got when he was at the Connally Ranch or the silver dollar Mr. Connally would slip to him every time he was there. Barlow would try to engage him while he and his father worked on the horses but Walt wouldn't speak much. Barlow figured it was because Walt considered himself too good to talk to him. Imagine that, a kid with nothing refusing to be friends with a Connally.

Barlow fared a little better at school. It got him away from his father for at least 8 hours a day, but Mr. Connally still expected him to be the best at everything. Sometimes he was and sometimes he wasn't. One of the bright spots of Barlow's day was after school when he would walk to the county library. Mrs. Gilbreath, the librarian, always greeted him with a smile and asked about his day. She would notice if he wore a new shirt and would listen intently to him. "You're a good boy Barlow," she would say. When her daughter started kindergarten she asked Barlow if he would be willing to help her make the short walk from the school to the library since he was coming there anyway. He would have done just about anything for her so he jumped at the chance to show how responsible he could be. That's how he started walking with Martha after school everyday. She was a chatty little girl and often made him laugh on their walks with her stories and though she was younger, you could say that they became friends. By the time Barlow headed off to jr. high, Martha was old enough to walk to her mother at the library on her own. He got so busy with sports and student government that his afternoons became filled with other things and he lost touch with Martha, at least until her freshman year of high school.

He remembers it vividly. Martha looked very grown up compared to the last time he had seen her but she had the same kind look in her eyes. She hesitantly walked into the gym clutching a notebook in her hand. Her chestnut hair was swept back into a ponytail and tied with a pale pink ribbon that matched her shirt. She looked around and her face lit up when she saw someone she recognized. She quickly walked over to her friend and sat next to her on the bleachers and they talked and laughed until the bell rang signaling that it was time to head to class. She was perfect! He went up to her the next morning and struck up a conversation. She remembered their walks to the library years before and they quickly became friends. Though he had never taken her on a "date" or ever officially asked her to be his girlfriend it felt like she was. They talked often and she was the only one he opened up to about his family and life at home. She was a good listener and encouraged Barlow to ignore all the horrible things his father would say to him because they just weren't true. They had a great time together and he never heard of her going out with anyone else. She came to all the varsity football games to cheer him on. It never got physical, but he was shy in that department and was okay with taking things slowly. Besides, he was in it for the long haul. They didn't really see each other during summer break because Barlow was working so much on the ranch and it was when they started back to school the next fall that he noticed things were different with Martha. She wasn't always home when he called her anymore. She was still friendly, but would often break off their conversations more quickly in the hallways at school. He wasn't sure what had brought about the change until the first home football game of the season. It was tradition back then for each player's girlfriend to wear their boyfriend's jersey to school the day of the game for good luck. He had never asked Martha to wear his jersey, but again, they were never what you'd call "official". That day Martha came to school wearing #44, Longmire's number. Barlow was so angry he left school and actually didn't get to play in the game that night because of it. Not only was Barlow not good enough for his father, he apparently wasn't good enough for the girl he had hoped to marry one day either. Like his asshole of a father, Martha had also chosen Walt over him. When he finally got up the nerve to talk to her about it she acted like she had never known how he felt about her. How could she have not know? It was the first time he had allowed himself to really feel the anger that had been building up inside him all these years. He ended their conversation that day by punching a hole in the wall at school and storming out. After that Martha avoided him altogether. She had abandoned him just like his mother and his older brother had. She was no better than they were. He would get back at her eventually, he just wasn't sure how at the time.

Barlow had managed to avoid Walt more and more as they had gotten older which wasn't too difficult since they were two grades apart in school. The only exception was when Walt had started high school, the same year as Martha had. He was a natural on the football field and made the varsity team his freshman year. Barlow had to admit Walt was a born lineman and his jersey still hangs in the trophy case at the school. Walt was so quiet that it wasn't hard to keep his intense dislike of the boy in check and manage playing on the same team. Coach always said that any difficulties you had with a teammate should be parked at the door to the locker room and he was able to do that. Now that Walt and Martha were dating however, it became a lot harder. On one occasion toward the end of the season, Barlow had had enough. He had left his high morals behind when he lost Martha and started chasing skirts all over school and town, a hobby he has kept up to the present. That night after the game he was spending time with one of the cheerleaders out in the parking lot when she decided she wasn't interested in the kind of fun Barlow was after. He was so frustrated thinking about how Walt and Martha might be celebrating the win that he wasn't so eager to stop what she had willingly started. She started struggling with him in the car and Walt and Martha happened to be walking by. Walt opened the car door and pulled him off of her. It was the last straw for Barlow who swung at him. Walt defended himself and Barlow couldn't let it go. He channeled all the years of pain and abuse toward the other boy and the two of them got into an all out fight. Barlow would have liked to say he held his own, but Walt kicked his ass, right in front of both girls and various other onlookers who had been lingering after the game. It was humiliating. He was too embarrassed to tell his old man what had happened so he just didn't go home the rest of that weekend. Mr. Connally was so drunk he never even noticed Barlow was gone. That made it even worse. After that Barlow threw himself into learning the business so he could prove his father was wrong about him and to gather enough money and power to make Walt Longmire suffer like he had. Walt and Martha continued to lead a charmed life. They didn't have a lot of things, but they did have a beautiful, intelligent daughter and and with the help of Barlow's own brother, Walt was able to acquire an elected position of power in the county. In contrast Barlow had every material thing he could possible want. He also had a failed marriage and his son, his only child, had been working as a deputy for Walt Longmire instead of being a part of the family business. Instead of supporting him, Branch questioned his decisions and had planned to hold him accountable for Martha's death. Branch chose Walt over him, just like everyone else Barlow had every cared about.

Barlow was able to build up his resources and connections until the time was right to make both Walt and Martha pay for the sins he thought they committed against him. He guessed he shouldn't be surprised that his part would be found out eventually, but that's why lawyers are paid the big bucks. He was confident that he would come out of this whole thing all right. He didn't actually kill anybody after all...

* * *

WARNING: Rambling disclaimer ahead. It is not necessary to read the next bit for this chapter but I wanted to share my reasoning behind how I handled some things in it.

I took some liberties with the ages of Barlow and Walt.(But isn't taking liberties part of what fanfic is all about? We get to put our own spin on things, right?) The series put Barlow at 65. In the novels, there is no Barlow but Walt is in his mid 60s based on his service in Vietnam and Lucian is around 90 based on his service record. Both are obviously younger in the series. According to Craig Johnson in his e-book teaser _Longmire: From Book to Screen_, they made Walt younger because they hoped the series would have a long run and they didn't want him getting too old by the end of it. (I know that's what we all want too!) The series alludes to Walt's age as 50 or 51. I base that on Walt meeting Henry at 12 and being friends with him for 38 years. There seems to be so much between Walt and Barlow that for me, they had to be closer in age and have a history that went back before their adult years. This is my attempt to explore some of that. Something had to have made Barlow such a hard, calloused man that he would kill an innocent woman and attempt to kill his own son. (Transference anyone? How about adult child of an alcoholic, attachment disorder, major depression, antisocial personality disorder and various other mental diagnoses for which Barlow may be a candidate?) I cannot wait to find out how the series resolves the conflict between Walt and Barlow and hope they reveal the source of Barlow's animosity. Until then, I will continue to let my imagination run with it. Thanks for reading! #LongLiveLongmire


	27. Chapter 27 - Option A

Vic turns off the alarm and rolls over to snuggle back into her pillow. She has already hit the snooze button several times but is tired of the alarm continuing to go off. Why on earth did they agree to meet at 8:00 when they were up so late? After Branch and Henry had come back in to the office last night, the four of them stayed and talked well past closing. Walt wanted Branch to go over everything again so he could listen with a clearer head than he had the first time. It was such a relief to see him back doing what he does best instead of hell bent on revenge. She had been really concerned about what he might do after finding out about Barlow's involvement in his wife's murder and his first reaction confirmed she had been justified in that concern. Thankfully it was something she didn't have to worry about any more. Vic was just drifting back to sleep again when her phone rang. Groaning she reached over and looked at the caller ID. However, unlike last night at the hospital, what she saw this morning made her smile. She rolls onto her back and answers the phone.

"Good morning!"**  
**

"Mornin'"

Walt's deep voice sends shivers down her spine as she remembers the warm, moist sensation of his lips and tongue running along her ear and down her neck last night before Henry had knocked and interrupted them. She closes her eyes and sighs softly.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was worried you'd oversleep."

Okay, not quite the flirtatious talk she was hoping for. She opens her eyes and stares at the ceiling. "Really?"

"You often talk about how much you love your sleep and I know you couldn't have gotten much last night, so I thought it might help out if I gave you a call."

"Okay. You've never seemed to be worried about what time I got up before. Why so concerned now?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line, "Well, I just really need you to be at the station this morning so we can get started on the Connally case."

Work. Of course that's why he'd be calling. It couldn't be to perhaps initiate a conversation they should have about what is going on with them. It couldn't be because he wanted to tell her how good her skin tastes. It couldn't be for him to declare his undying love and ask her to run away with him to live happily ever after. Okay, she knew that was a little extreme. She didn't want to admit it but she was a bit disappointed he was only calling about work. When did she become such a girl?

"Walt, I know there's a lot to do to get a solid case built against Barlow. Don't worry, I'll be there."

"It's not that Vic."

Okay, so maybe he doesn't have problems with his short term memory after all and he does recall what he did in Henry's office last night. Good, because she certainly remembers it.

"Then what is it."

"When I said I need you there what I really mean is...that I...**need** you there."

"You're being a little cryptic Walt."

"Vic, I was in a bad place last night and after hearing about Barlow I started barreling down a dark road to an even worse place. You were able to pull me back. I'm not sure anyone else short of Martha would have been able to do that. When I say I need you, that's what I'm talking about. As much as I don't like to admit it, I need you right now. I need you as a reminder to walk the line."

Vic can't help but grin, "Oh, okay. Well, don't worry. I'm awake and not likely to go back to sleep now that I've been talking. I promise. I'll be there when you need me to be."

"Good." She can hear the relief in his voice, "I'll see you in a little while."

Vic ends the call, sets the phone back on the nightstand and stretches her arms up over her head before exhaling, bringing them down and settling her body deeper into the bed. She hasn't felt this peaceful in a long time. She lingers in her cozy blankets a little while longer thinking back to the time just before she headed home last night, or actually, early this morning. Branch left first. After sharing his conversation with Barlow yet another time he was exhausted and needed to get home to a safe place to regroup. Henry left the office to make sure all the closing work had been done in the bar and Walt walked Vic out to the parking lot.

She noticed he was walking closer to her than usual, close enough that they kept bumping into each other. He was also moving more slowly than his long stride typically allows. As they approached her truck and she reached to open the door he put his hand on her arm and stopped her.

She turned to him, "Is everything okay?"

He smiled slightly at her, "Yep."

She waited for him to go on but he didn't. He just looked at her for a few minutes. Then he inhaled, cautiously reached out and wrapped his arms around her in an enveloping hug before slowly letting the breath back out. The hug was soft and warm and firm and rugged all at the same time. The side of her face was pressed into the well worn denim of his shirt and her nose was tickled by his soft shearling coat. She was surrounded by his scent and could hear the reassuring beat of his heart. It was quite possibly one of the best and most complete feelings she had ever experienced. She felt like she was . . . home. After holding her for several minutes Walt eased his grip and stepped back. He gave her a big smile this time, "Good night Vic." He opened her door and closed it after she got in. Then he winked at her before walking back into the Red Pony. Vic wasn't sure what she had expected to happen beyond that. She knew the timing wasn't really right for anything more than that. Still, she couldn't keep from smiling her entire drive home. She finally had an inkling that perhaps the feelings she has been trying to fight and failing to conquer were not entirely one sided.


	28. Chapter 28 - Option B

Ruby was surprised to find Ferg already at the station when she arrived the next morning. She is almost always the first person there. She took in Ferg's appearance. He was somewhat more rumpled than usual and there was an unfolded blanket on the bunk in the cell. It was easy to surmise that he had slept there. It wasn't strange for Walt to sleep at the office or even Vic for that matter. Since Martha died Walt had often stayed on the bunk overnight and Ruby knew that Vic had troubles she didn't always want to deal with. They both had something they were avoiding at home, but not the Ferg. Why would he sleep here? She asks him as much. He gives Ruby the shortened version of everything that had happened the night before with Vic and Barlow. She nods and then glances around, "So is that where Walt is, at the hospital with Vic?"

Ferg is hesitant to say anything but Ruby needs to know, "No one's seen Walt since Sloan agreed to drop the charges against Henry and he left the Red Pony. We don't know where he is."

"That's okay, I'm sure he'll show up soon."

She starts to walk over to her desk but stops when she remembers the empty cell, "Where's Barlow?"

"I took him to Tri-County. I knew we wouldn't be able to house him here right now being so short staffed and all. I didn't have anyone to ask so I just made the decision myself."

She nods in agreement, "Good."

Ruby calls Cady for an update on Vic and to see if she's heard from her father yet this morning while Ferg gets back to reviewing the paperwork he needs to send to Tri-county and the prosecutor's office. When Ruby gets off the phone she gets right to the point.

"Ferg, Cady says there hasn't been any change in Vic's condition and she hasn't heard from Walt yet either. I'm going to head over to the hospital to give her a break, let her go home for a while to get a shower and some rest. In the meantime, maybe you should call Henry. He knows Walt better than anybody. He might know where he is."

"I am already here Ruby. Deputy Ferguson and I spoke late last night and arranged to combine our efforts to find Walt."

Neither of them had heard Henry coming up the stairs.

Ruby beams at Ferg, " I knew you could handle this." She pats Ferg twice on the cheek, "Now you two get out there and track down our Sheriff!"

She grabs her purse and heads down the stairs, "I'll be at the hospital if you need me."

Ferg checks the time before looking up at Henry, "You're here early, that must mean something."

"How much does Ruby know?"

"As much as we do, that no one has seen or talked to Walt since he left the Red Pony yesterday."

"Well, we do know a little more than that now."

"What have you got?"

"It appears Walt is in his truck. His rifle is gone as are the extra clips for his Colt."

"Anything else?"

"Martha's ashes are gone."

"Her ashes?"

Henry nods, "Walt has been keeping Martha's ashes in a box on a shelf in the kitchen. The box is now sitting on the table and the ashes are gone."

Ferg pulls over a chair for Henry and sits down at his desk.

"Did you know he was going to scatter them?"

"No."

"I wonder if Cady did."

"I am sure that if Cady knew she would have said something to me. We have both shared concerns about Walt hanging onto Martha so tightly since she's been gone. Him spreading her remains is a sign of a shift in Walt's thinking."

"What kind of shift."

"I am not sure."

Ferg shakes his head, "Walt kept his wife's ashes for two years and when he finally decides to do something with them he doesn't tell his daughter? After all they have been though? I know he's private and all but that doesn't seem like him... I'm almost finished getting everything together." He hands Henry a map of the county, "Look this over and let me know where you think we should start looking for Walt. We can drop these reports off on the way."

They both work in silence for a while before hearing footsteps on the stairs. Ferg huffs a little as the door opens. He was really hoping to avoid any distractions that would slow down his ability to get out of the office and find Walt.

It's Matthias, "Is the sheriff here? I need to talk to him."

Surprised, Ferg stands up, "No, no he isn't in."

"It's important. When do you expect him?"

"I'm not sure, is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, I have a missing person on the rez and let's just say it's someone in whom the sheriff has taken an intense interest as of late."

Ferg and Henry look at each other and Henry asks, "Who is missing?"

Matthias regards him slowly, "Jacob Nighthorse. He didn't show up at his office this morning so I went out to his house. It was locked up and his car was there. The only thing I could find other than some tire tracks was this." He tossed an evidence bag with some broken pieces of plastic and electronics in it onto the table.

"What is it?" Ferg asks him.

"I think it used to be Jacob's cell phone."


	29. Chapter 29 - Option A

I hang up the phone and take another sip of my coffee. I glance over at the now empty space on the kitchen shelf where I have kept the box with Martha's ashes since her final trip home. For the first time I don't feel the anger or pain to which I have grown accustomed. There aren't too many other emotions I fully associate with this cabin other than those two. Sometimes there is guilt and if I am honest with myself there have been others such as sadness, loneliness and even self-pity, if I am being particularly weak. None of these feelings were what the cabin had originally been built for but they had resided here none-the-less.

Building the cabin had been a labor of love for Martha, for both of us really. It was supposed to be a place to grow old together, full of happiness and laughter. I hadn't had a chance to complete it before Martha got so sick from the cancer treatments that I had to step back from it to care for her. I had no drive or desire to finish the work on it after she was gone. I hadn't seen the point. Perhaps because I allowed this home to be frozen in time, I had remained that way too. I hate to think of it as wallowing, but maybe that's what I've been doing.

I look at the phone recalling my conversation with Vic. She triggers different emotions than those that have lingered around my home the last several years: joy, hope and something else. In some ways I know I have been avoiding her because of them. I didn't think I deserved those things after the way I had let Martha, Cady, Henry, Branch and so many other people down. Besides, my feelings for Vic have been so deeply twisted up with guilt and shame that I almost couldn't recognize them. When they did erupt to the surface I pushed them back down and wouldn't allow myself to fully embrace them because in my mind they were wrong. I couldn't be in love with Vic, for so many reasons.

This morning I admitted something to her that I haven't admitted to anyone since Martha's passing, that I can't do it on my own anymore. I need someone. Both Henry and Cady had tried to be there for me, even when I wouldn't let them. Henry was steadfast and when I pushed, he pushed back. I have always known my his best friend wasn't going anywhere, but I had almost lost my daughter because of my unwillingness to let her be there to support me. I am so thankful I stopped shutting her out before I had completely driven her away. Even so, I realized last night that they aren't enough. Neither thoughts of Henry nor Cady had kept me from trying to track down the men behind my wife's murder and killing them. I love those two with a fierceness that is uncompromising, but I had rationalized leaving them to carry on without me in the name of what...justice...revenge? Vic was the only one who was able to bring me back from the edge of the cliff I was hell bent on driving over.

I shake my head in disbelief. Everything has been so out of balance in my life. I almost lost the two most important people in the world to me and there I was willing to risk losing them a second time. How misguided is that? But all it took was knowing that Vic was staying to put the world back on track. Hope replaced doubt. Faith replaced fear.

I know I crossed over the line with Vic after she told me about the divorce. I shouldn't have touched her like I did. All those times I wanted to reach out and pull her into my arms but didn't took over and caused me to close the distance between the two of us almost before I realized what I was doing. It had seemed the most natural thing in the world to move close and nuzzle her neck. It was the exact thing I had wanted to do in the hospital after she had been held hostage, to bury my face in her hair and whisper in her ear that it was going to be all right because we had each other to hold onto. When I walked her out to her truck it was all I could do to keep from opening the tailgate, lifting her onto the bed of the pickup, and having my way with her. I knew that if I kissed her it would be impossible to keep from doing just that so I showed restraint, only allowing myself a hug and nothing more. I had crossed over a line, but I simply didn't care about that. I will make sure it doesn't happen again until Vic's divorce is final but I am no longer going to punish myself for either things done or left undone. I am going to stop living in the past and embrace the present.


	30. Chapter 30 - Option B

Once Walt started driving Jacob had little choice but to stay in the truck. He knew he couldn't overpower Walt and running didn't seem a viable option either. He did consider trying to get away, find someone and tell them he was being held against his will. Two things kept him from it. First, he wasn't sure anyone would believe him. He was a Native American in the company of a Sheriff after all. Most people would probably believe he had done something to deserve to be held by the authorities. Second, he was holding on to the fact that whatever difficulties he had with Walt in the past, that Walt really was an honorable man and would do the right thing in the end.

There was one thing Jacob knew for sure, that he wished he hadn't picked up the envelope the Sheriff had given to him. Once he did he couldn't tear himself away from it. Like everyone else he had heard that Walt's wife had died of cancer. The papers now in his hands proved otherwise and while reading them he started to make connections he hadn't anticipated. The crime scene photos of Martha's death were graphic and the written report included every explicit detail. He poured over the contents of that envelope almost the entire trip to Denver. He hadn't even realized the direction they had been going but after reading the file he was not entirely surprised when they crossed the Colorado state line. Once they arrived in Denver Walt drove straight to the location where Martha had been attacked letting Jacob out of the truck to walk around the crime scene. Walt took him everywhere she had been the last day of her life and finished with a trip to the hospital, going so far as to walk Jacob to the very room where his wife had died.

Jacob had been involved in some questionable activities in his past, but he had never really gotten dirty in the process. He had shielded himself from the realities he helped to create somehow thinking that if he maintained his distance and never knew exact details that he could keep his hands clean. He was now starting to doubt that had been the best course of action for him to follow, especially when he got to the last few pages of the file. They indicated that David Ridges had traveled to Denver and hired the man that murdered Martha Longmire and then later killed that same man to keep him from talking about what he had done and who had paid him to do it.

Jacob and Barlow Connally had never gotten along very well. Perhaps it was because they were too much alike. Still, Jacob had been more than willing to allow Barlow to hire his employee David Ridges for Barlow's offer of $50,000. He hadn't asked any questions, neither of Barlow or of David. He thought it better if he didn't know details of the dealings between the two men. He hadn't even known that David had left the state to take care of whatever task Barlow had for him to do. When there seemed to be no immediate fall out after the time frame for their arrangement had ended he thought all was well. Later, when Barlow approached Jacob about funneling money to his son's election campaign and made a convincing argument that it would be in Jacob's best business interest to do so, he agreed to that as well. Since then they had developed a workable, if tenuous relationship.

Jacob had no idea what Barlow had been up to three years ago but today it had become very clear. He was also confident that with the money that exchanged hands and Ridges now dead, he could be held at least partially responsible for Martha Longmire's death. One thing of which Jacob had become most aware was that right now, Walt believed he was the one who had ordered Ridges to have his wife killed. Jacob suspected that the Sheriff didn't know the part Barlow had played in all this. He wondered how much Walt would be willing to let go in exchange for that information. Jacob had something to offer Walter Longmire that could be used to his advantage.

"I want to make a deal."

"We've already tried that Jacob. I'm not interested."

"You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss it. Don't you want to know who is behind all this, who is really responsible for your wife's death?"

"I already know who's behind it all and believe me, you're going to pay for what you've done."

"Walt, you have no idea what you're saying. This conspiracy goes much deeper than you think. Besides, why would I want your wife dead?"

"She opposed your casino."

"So did a lot of people, many still do, yet none of them have turned up dead. So why her? Have you ever wondered why she was the one targeted?"

"Every day."

"Did you ever think that perhaps this was personal? A direct attack against you for instance?"

"I've already been down those roads. All of them resulted in dead ends except the one that leads to you."

"Maybe you haven't exhausted all the possibilities. You and I have had our differences, but there has always been at least some level of respect between us. I certainly don't hate you enough to kill an innocent woman. Is there anyone else you know who is cold and calculating enough to be willing to do that just to hurt you, someone who despises you with every inch of his being?"

Walt glances sideways at Jacob as he eases the truck back onto I-25.

"Maybe."


	31. Chapter 31 - Option A

"One last thing. Ferg, I want you to get Nighthorse's phone records. We need to find out how much he knew. I'm not convinced he's innocent in this whole deal. I want to know who he talked to and when, both three years ago and now. I think he may have faked that recorded conversation with Ridges. They could have talked for several minutes and planned out the conversation before he ever hit record on his phone."

"I'll get right on it."

I head into my office, sit behind the desk and put my head between my hands. It has been a long 24 hours. The relief I felt at Henry's freedom and the scattering of Martha's ashes seem so much longer ago than just yesterday. I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything that has happened and the new questions that have opened up. If Barlow Connally paid to have David Ridges murder Martha, or at least arrange for her murder, then what part did he play in Ridges' murder of Miller Beck? Was he trying to set up Henry for the murder or was he after me? How does Jacob Nighthorse play into the whole conspiracy? What exactly did Nightnorse know then and now? My head is starting to hurt.

There's a soft knock at my door. I look up to see my favorite deputy leaning against the door frame. I know I shouldn't have a favorite, but I do. Vic's been my favorite for a long time and I'm finally giving myself permission to admit it. Sure, she's easier on the eyes than the others but it's more than that. She is one hell of a cop and I've grown to depend on her, in more ways than one. It's the additional ways I feel myself needing her that have me reeling right now, but I can't think about that just yet. Prioritize Walt, prioritize. There will be plenty of time to think about my other feelings for Vic when this mess with Barlow is resolved.

She walks over behind the desk next to me and and starts rubbing her hand across my shoulders, "How you holding up?"

I let out a small sigh and smile at her, "Better now." Reaching up, I rub the top of her hand before letting go again. "Thinking about all this is pretty exhausting."

"Maybe you should take a break?"

"No, we're pretty close. I want to wrap as much of this up this morning as possible."

"Well then, finish up and take the afternoon off. I'll cover for you."

"Actually, I was planning on driving to Cumberland County after lunch."

Vic scrunches her eyebrows together as she looks at me.

"Walt, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I can't avoid seeing him forever."

"No, but you can put it off a little longer. Save it for when you've had a day or two to adjust to this new information. At least wait to go talk to him until after you've had a good night's sleep."

"I need to know why, Vic. I'm not sure I will be able to sleep at all until I know that much at least."

"That's what you asked that psycho that killed Theo Halfmoon."

"Huh?"

"That Wayne character. Before he escaped and you chased him up the mountain last year, you sat in that diner, looked him in the eye and told him the family would want to know why."

I was speaking from experience."

"Walt, you may never really know why Barlow wanted Martha dead. He's a nut job plain and simple: obsessive and narcissistic. Sometimes people just do bad shit for no good reason. Besides, even if he does give you a reason, will it satisfy you? Martha will still be gone."

"It's more than that, Vic. I should have known. I should have seen it coming. I knew Barlow was angry and bitter, but I never thought it would go this far. After all that time, I never believed he would actually take it out on Martha. Why didn't he go after me?"

"What are you talking about, Walt?"

"I've known Barlow all my life and we have a pretty significant history from the early 80's. So, in a way, I feel like this was kind of my fault."

"Walt, you're going to have to give me a little more information than that."

I proceed to tell Vic the unabridged version of what happened over 30 years ago. By the time I'm finished telling her the story Vic is gripping her hands into fists. I know her well enough to suspect it's all she can do not to drive to Cumberland County so she can deck Barlow herself.

"As much as I hate to admit it, it felt good to put Barlow in his place all those years ago. Now I almost find myself wishing I hadn't. Maybe then none of this would have happened. I never knew he'd hold a grudge against me all this time."

"Walt, this is not your fault! You cannot blame yourself for Barlow's choices. Lots of men get knocked down by another man and don't plot revenge for 30 plus years and lots of men lose women to other men and they don't later try to kill them."

"Barlow was trying to hurt me and he knew taking her away was the best way to do it. He should have come after me. She never did anything but be kind to him until he showed himself as who he really was. Even then, she didn't want to tell anyone what had happened. She didn't want to tarnish his reputation, she just wanted to be left alone and be able to move on and forget it. Barlow obviously never did.

"It sounds like he wanted you to suffer, Walt. You wouldn't be suffering if you were dead. He probably thought killing you would be giving you the easy way out and while he is obviously sick and twisted, he isn't stupid. He knew he never would have been able to have Martha for himself, even is you were dead. But, he could take her away from you to make you feel the pain he thought you deserved.

"Sounds like you just made a pretty good case for it being my fault."

She shakes her head in frustration, "Is this why you always take his crap? He baits you all the time and you never fight back. Do you feel guilty for taking Martha away from him?"

Another knock at the door interrupts them. I break eye contact to see who it is.

"Hey Branch, come on in."

Vic leans her head toward Branch and speaks under her breath, "Does he know?"

I gently shake my head.

Branch walks over to my desk and stands with his hands thumbs hooked on his belt buckle. He clears his throat, looks at Vic and then back to me, "You got a minute?"

"It might help," Vic remarks as she starts to walk out of the room, "I'm gonna go see if the Ferg needs any help tracking down those phone records." She gives Branch a pat on the arm as she walks past him and exits the office closing the door behind her.

"Have a seat, Branch."

I sound tired. I know I feel tired. I also know I'm not sure I'm ready for this conversation, but now is as good a time to have it as any.

"I'd rather stand if that's okay with you."

I lean back in my chair and rub the top of my right hand with the palm of my left. It helps me to think, "Okay, what's on your mind?"

"Walt...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Lot's of things, but right now I'm sorry about your wife. I never told you that when I found out that she hadn't really died of cancer. At the time all I could think about was myself and while I wasn't willing to take it to the press, I still wanted to use the information to my advantage, force you to quit the sheriff's race. Now to find out it was my father who was responsible..."Branch shakes his head slowly, "No wonder you thought I was a dick."

"I never thought you were a dick, Branch. Self-righteous and self-absorbed? Yes, but not a dick. I respect my daughter's taste enough to know there has to be more to you than that."

"He pushed me so hard to go after your job. I told him I didn't think I was ready but I was tired of seeing disappointment in his eyes every time he looked at me. Walt, I never imagined he could do what he did just to get me elected. Is there anything I can do to make this right?"

"Branch, this wasn't your fault. You need to stop blaming yourself. You've already started to make things right. If you hadn't gone digging into Barlow's financial records, I never would have known who was responsible for my wife's death. You gave that to me. Thank you."

"I owed you that much Walt. You've been as supportive and forgiving with me as you could and you have been a hell of a lot more accepting of my faults than my father has ever been."

"Branch, uh, I need to apologize to you."

Branch expression is confused, "Why?"

"Please...have a seat. There are some things I think you need to know."

* * *

**If you haven't already read it and want more information on what happened all those years ago, my story _Barlow_ gives the history between Walt, Barlow and Martha that I am using for the A thread of this story.**

**Thank you for your patience in awaiting these updates. I have found it works best to go where my creative thoughts take me instead of trying to force things. Now that I have completed the above mentioned foray into the past, I will be able to devote more time and attention to _In my arms_. Know though that these updates ****sometimes take a little longer due to trying to keep the two threads parallel and in sync with one another. **Thank you always for reading!


	32. Chapter 32 - Option B

The air in the station is thick as Ferg and Henry stare at the bag containing the smashed pieces of Jacob Nighthorse's phone. They exchange a look before Ferg finally swallows and looks at Matthias, "Do you think he might have dropped it and accidentally run over it?"

"Honestly? No. Jacob isn't that careless."

Henry's cell phone rings interrupting them. He checks the screen, shoots a meaningful look at Ferg, and excuses himself, "I am sorry but I have to take this call." He walks into Walt's office and closes the door leaving Ferg to deal with the tribal police chief alone.

Matthias is silent a moment as he looks around the room, "Where's Moretti?"

"Uh, she's not here."

"I can see that. She on a call?"

"Actually, she's in the hospital. She collapsed at the Red Pony last night. The doctor said she is having some swelling in her brain from a head injury she suffered a little while back."

"I'm sorry to hear that. She going to be okay?"

"Yeah," He nods his head, "She will be."

"So, Philly's out of commission, Branch is still trying to get off the crazy train, and the sheriff is MIA. You seem a little short staffed."

Ferg was quick to respond, "The sheriffs' not MIA."

"Uh huh." He glances at Ruby's empty desk. "It's a shame I have this missing person case to keep me busy or I could offer my assistance as a professional courtesy."

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary." Ferg gathers his resolve, "I'll have Walt call you when he comes in."

Matthias nods and heads back down the wooden stairs. Ferg listens to his footsteps until the tribal chief exits the building. He cracks the door to Walt's office and peers in at Henry who is pacing the floor. Henry waves Ferg in.

"Yes, but...please...think about what you are saying..."

From what Ferg is hearing, Henry is doing much more listening than talking at this point.

"I see..."

Henry listens a few more moments before lowering his arm and clicking his phone off.

"That did not go well, he hung up on me."

"Who was on the phone?" Ferg was hoping it had been the Sheriff who was monopolizing the conversation with Henry.

"Shaun. He is not going to return from his trip to be with his wife while she is in the hospital."

"What?"

"He said divorce papers had been filed on his behalf and she is no longer his responsibility."

"You're kidding!"

"I wish I was."

"What a jerk! How are we going to tell Vic that her husband has written her off and doesn't care about what happens to her anymore?"

Henry thinks back to two specific conversations he has had at the Red Pony in recent weeks. One was when Walt admitted to Henry that he cared for his deputy more than he thought he should. The other was when Henry offered Vic the name of a divorce attorney in Sheridan. "I think she will be neither surprised nor greatly hurt by his response. I do, however, think it shows his character to be greatly lacking. Trust me, Vic will be better off without him."

"I'll call Ruby to let her know what Shaun said. She can let the hospital know to remove him from her chart as an emergency contact. What do you think we should do about Matthias?"

"I am torn. I do not want him to know our suspicions about Walt taking Jacob, but in order to track where they might have gone I need to go to Jacob's house and look around. News that he is missing will spread quickly so I do not think I can go there unnoticed. Better to tell Matthias what I am doing ahead of time instead of being caught in the act and raising suspicions."

"So we should tell him what's going on?"

"Not necessarily."

* * *

**Thank you for your patience in awaiting these updates. I have found it works best to go where my creative thoughts take me instead of trying to force things. Now that I have completed my foray into the past, I will be able to devote more time and attention to _In my arms_. These updates sometimes take a little longer due to trying to keep the two threads parallel and in sync with one another. Thank you always for reading!**


	33. Chapter 33 - Option A

**Warning: Foul mouthed Vic ahead.**

* * *

"Dorothy sent the usual." I look up to see Vic standing in the doorway holding a paper bag.

"She did?

Vic shrugs her shoulders, "I got hungry. I didn't know how long you would be here with Branch and I didn't want to wait...Besides, I figured you might not want to have to be out in public having to field questions right now. Word travels pretty fast around here. The whole town is talking about the news that Barlow Connally was shot by his son and then promptly arrested."

She places the bag on the desk and stands there with her arms crossed.

"Is there something else?"

"Are you going to leave me hanging, here? How'd it go with Branch?"

"As well as could be expected. I'm not sure he felt better knowing that Barlow's vendetta against me goes way back to before he was born. I'm afraid it may have opened up more questions than it answered for him. I encouraged him to go talk to Lucian about it."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"Yeah, actually I do. I offered to go with him to tell Lucian what happened, but he insisted on going himself. He headed over there a few minutes ago to try to catch him before the gossip train over at Snow Cap Vista hits Lucian head on."

"Maybe Lucian's already heard what his brother's done."

"No, he would have called the station if he had. Lucian wouldn't be able to hear something like that and just sit on it."

I open the sack of food and look inside, "Where's yours?"

"I ate there, don't like my fries to get soggy."

"You hate to eat at the Bee by yourself."

"Yeah, well, I guess today I hated the idea of soggy fries more."

The intercom on the phone sounded, "Walt?"

"Yes Ruby?"

"I just got a call from Widow Carver out on North Pinnacle Road. She said she was working out in her yard and heard rustling from the brush behind her burn pile. She's concerned it's some critter and is worried about it getting after her cat. Wants to know if you'll come check it out."

"I'll go Ruby."

"Thanks Vic." The phone intercom clicked off.

"You don't have to go, I know how uncomfortable you are around Mrs. Carver with her calling you sweetheart and patting your hand all the time. I can take the call."

"No, eat your lunch. I can suck it up and go. The last time I was there she gave me an apple pie to take home that had an honest to goodness homemade crust. You can't pay money for that shit."

"Fair enough."

"You taking the afternoon off like I suggested?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"Hmm, doesn't sound too promising."

"Mrs. Carver is waiting, Vic."

"Okay, Okay, I'm going."

"Hey Vic?"

She turns back, "Yeah?"

"Thanks for staying."

She scuffs at the floor with her boot, "Yeah, well, where the fuck else am I going to go?"

I laugh, "Well, there's that, but uh, I really meant what I said on the phone this morning. If you hadn't been there last night, who knows what I would have gone and done. I wasn't thinking straight."

She keeps her face turned down but looks up at me through her eyelashes, "You talking about before or after you started kissing my neck?"

I clear my throat, "Uh, before, when I was ready to go shoot Barlow right between the eyes. All I wanted was revenge. You pulled me out of it."

She moves to close the office door and walks back to my desk placing both her hands on the front edge and leaning in towards me, "You're welcome, but don't think we aren't going to eventually get back to what you started there in Henry's office last night. You don't get to do that and then just walk away and pretend it never happened."

It's hard to stay calm with her so close, looking me straight in the eye. Since arriving at the office this morning, I have focused on the situation with Barlow and been able to compartmentalize my feelings for Vic. Now, I can think of nothing but her. It's making my head start to spin and I fight to keep my voice steady, "I'm counting on it."

She breaks out in a grin, "Good."

She stands upright and swings her hips more than usual as she moves toward the door, "I'm going to get some apple pie."

Boy Howdy.

I finish my lunch and decide to take advantage of Vic's absence to go see Barlow. She will be pissed when she finds out that not only am I going to see him today but that I'm not taking her with me. However, the threat of her anger doesn't sway me.

I pause on the way out the door, "I'm heading to Cumberland County Ruby. Ferg, you're in charge until Vic gets back." I head down the stairs and out the Sheriff's department door to find Henry sitting on the bench outside.

"I thought you left after our strategy meeting this morning."

"I did."

"You came back."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To accompany you to Cumberland County"

I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously, "Did Vic call you?"

Henry sighs deeply, "Is it that much of a stretch that I might know what my best friend would do the first spare moment he has after finding out who is responsible for killing his wife?"

"I guess not."

Henry stands, "Well then, are you driving or am I?


	34. Chapter 34 - Option B

**I moved the last section of chapter 32 to this chapter and rewrote some of it. Since it is a continuation of the trip back from Denver it seemed to flow better.**

* * *

I check the clock on the dashboard. It's 9:03. It feels much earlier than that. I can't tell you how long the sun has been up but the drive back north from Denver towards home always seems longer than the trip down. It has been a long night but I don't really feel like stopping to rest. My passenger however has succumbed to sleep. I guess he wore himself out trying to talk me into not suspecting him of being the mastermind behind my wife's death.

Taking Nighthorse to Denver has allowed my thoughts of killing him to subside somewhat. I think about the question he asked me. Who hates me enough to kill my wife? It's not like I haven't been down this road before. That's the whole reason I have all those rap sheets taped to my office wall. It's why I visited Chance Gilbert and those other criminals, because I knew they were capable of something like this. It's just like I told Barlow about Branch being shot, that maybe someone was trying to get to him though his son. It's still a possibility someone was trying to get to me through Martha, but who? My mind wanders as I watch the mile markers go by.

Barlow, now there's someone who's made his hatred of me perfectly clear. I suspect he was the one pushing Branch's campaign for Sheriff forward, more in an effort to put me out of a job than from a desire for his son to succeed. I have always felt badly for Branch having to grow up in his father's shadow. Barlow was less than pleased when I hired Branch as a deputy but I always figured it was because he just didn't like me. Since then, I have seen first hand how controlling Barlow tries to be with his son. When I hired Branch I agreed with him that he should make his own way if he wanted to. I admired that he didn't want to slide by on his father's work, reputation or money. Barlow is a pompous ass, that's for sure, and we have a history, but surely he couldn't have anything to do with all of this.

I glance over at Jacob. No. It can't be Barlow. It has to be Nighthorse. Jacob's just playing me, trying to save his own skin. Still, he has put some doubt in my mind that he acted alone. Maybe I shouldn't be so hasty to dismiss his assertion that there is something more behind Martha's murder than just the casino. At least I have some drive time ahead of me to try to figure it out.

We are less than an hour from Durant when I hear Jacob stirring, "Have you decided what you're going to do with me yet?"

I had hoped he would sleep all the way back, "I was going to take you up into the Bighorns and make sure you didn't ever come back down again."

"Oh...you said was."

"Yep."

"And now?"

I sigh in spite of myself, "I'm not sure."

He must have decided it's better for him to keep his mouth shut at this point because he doesn't respond. I appreciate his silence. I can think better when it's quiet. I find myself once again in unfamiliar territory: unsure as to the best course of action. When I left my cabin after scattering Martha's ashes I knew I was going to kill Nighthorse. I hadn't been given my right to kill Miller Beck and while there was some relief in killing Ridges, he was still just a mercenary hired to do a job. I'm sure it wasn't his idea to have my wife killed. Nighthorse had to have told him to do it. So why am I now hesitating when just yesterday I was so sure?

My gut instinct is holding me back. Deep down I feel like I'm missing something, a vital piece of the puzzle. Will my thirst for revenge be quenched if I carry out a sentence of execution but still leave questions unanswered? Do I have the whole story and will I get it if I kill Nighthorse now? Whatever happens, I have to make sure it is the end. I cannot do this anymore. I can't go on with there still being uncertainty about why Martha was taken. I can't continue to destroy those I love with my bitterness and anger. Cady and Henry deserve better than that. I keep hearing Martha's plea to be careful. I need to be careful not just for myself but for those important to me. Be careful...This time the voice is Vic's. The blurring of the two women in my mind is confusing me. I need to be careful in more ways than one.

"I'll try, I'll try."

"What?"

I look over at my passenger, "Nothing." My mind is made up.

No one is at the station when I arrive. It's rare that Ruby is gone during the day and I'm concerned as to why she isn't here. I inform Nighthorse that he will be charged with conspiracy to commit murder as well as aiding and abetting. I allow him to call his attorney before locking him in the cell. He's strangely quiet. Maybe he's relieved he's still alive. While this is not what I had planned for Nighthorse when I headed out to his house yesterday I know it's the right thing to do. I cannot keep hurting the people I love with my actions. At some point, they have to become more important to me than myself and they need to become more important than the person who is gone. I cannot keep holding onto a memory and ignoring the present reality. It's a bitter pill to swallow but I do it.

There are no post-its for me, so I pick up the phone and dial Ruby's cell number, It goes straight to voicemail. I hang up without leaving a message. I notice the blinking light that indicates there's a voicemail message on the office line. I pick the phone back up to access the system. The computerized voice tells me there are three new messages and they start to play automatically:

"Hey Ruby, this is Sheriff Wilkins. Sorry to bother you but your prisoner is demanding to talk to someone from Absaroka to find out what he's being charged with. Can someone give me a call when you get a chance. I just want to get him to shut up. He's driving my dispatcher crazy."

Why does Cumberland County have one of our prisoners? I wait for the next message:

"This is Carl Jenkins, Mr. Connally's attorney. It's imperative Sheriff Longmire call my office as soon as possible. The number is 555-6947."

Mr. Connally's attorney? Must be in regard to Branch's suspension.

The third message begins:

"Ruby, its Dorothy. I wanted to call and see if there was any news on how Vic is doing. Cady stopped by on her way home from the hospital this morning to pick up something to eat and filled me in while she was here. Poor girl looked exhausted. Anyway, call when you get a minute. Thanks!"

I hang up and try to process what I've just heard while my body reacts the same way it did when I first suspected Vic had been abducted. I pick up the phone once more, this time to call Cady.


End file.
